SSU men, women reach golf nationals

ROHNERT PARK - Wednesday at Foxtail Golf Club capped off a banner three days for the Sonoma State women’s golf team. The host and No. 8-seeded Seawolves closed out the NCAA Division II Women’s West Regional on their home course by finishing third in the event, good enough to qualify for the NCAA Division II Women’s National Championships in Allendale, Mich. on May 13-16.

On Wednesday at Hiddenbrooke Golf Club in Vallejo, the SSU men’s golf team finished second in a 20-team regional that qualified them for the NCAA Division II nationals set for May 18-22 in Conover, N.C.

“The girls proved that they can play at a championship level,” SSU coach Val Verhunce said. “The girls were really focused and ready to play.”

Of the nine at the West Regional, only three qualified for the national championship - first-place Tarleton State (Texas) with a three-round score of 893, runner-up St. Edward’s (Texas) with 898, and SSU third with 902. The Seawolves set a record with their best round of golf in their program’s eight-year history on Monday (294), before cooling down in the second round Tuesday (300) and Wednesday’s final round (308).

Having home-course advantage certainly benefitted the Seawolves. SSU golfers knew the nuances of the Foxtail North course better than their competitors, giving them an edge.

“We tried to take as much advantage of playing on our home course as possible,” SSU team captain Alex Hayes said. “It was our preparation that led to this result. We have been out here every day for the past few weeks.”

The six schools in the tournament which did not qualify for the national final were California Baptist, W. Texas A&M, Newman (Kansas), Midwestern State (Texas), Academy of Art (San Francisco), and Dallas Baptist. There were also individual golfers competing from Colorado State-Pueblo, CSU-East Bay, and Dixie State (Utah).

But it was the underdog Seawolves that were perhaps the biggest surprise.

“SSU is a good team,” Academy of Art coach Elaine Harris said. “They had home advantage and they came out of the gate fast.”

The three-round scores for the five SSU players include Sarah Rotter (223, 10th place); Hannah Gregg (225, tied-15th); Hayes (229, tied-26th); Haley Whitbeck (231, 30th); and Erin Martens (tied-47th).

In addition to the three teams that qualify for the national title, the top three individual golfers from non-qualifying teams go to Michigan to compete for the individual championship. The three from the West Region are Brenna Moore (Midwest State), Crystal Wang (Academy of Art), and Hee-Leina Kin (Colorado State-Pubelo).

Interestingly, of the 49 golfers at the West Regional, there were none from Redwood Empire high schools. Even without local talent represented, Verhunce’s players are peaking at the right time and appear to be a precocious bunch, with two juniors and three sophomores.

“I think we are real solid right now,” Rotter said. “We have a lot of momentum going to Michigan.”

The only other time the SSU women were at the national finals they finished in third in 2010. SSU Athletic Director Bill Fusco said he is expecting the team to perform well at the championship.

“For us to be at the finals to compete is a great accomplishment,” Fusco said. “Our team will be in the spotlight in Michigan and we have a really talented team.”

SSU MEN’S GOLF QUALIFIES

The SSU men’s golf team scored a 906 and placed second out of 20 teams at the NCAA Division II West/South Central Regional at Hiddenbrooke Golf Club in Vallejo, which concluded Wednesday, to qualify for the NCAA Division II Men’s Golf National Championships for the sixth time in program history. It was the first time SSU qualified since 2011. SSU won the Men’s Division II championship in 2009.

The Seawolves travel to Rock Barn Golf & Spa in Conover, N.C. on May 18-22 for the title competition with four other teams from the West/South Central event - team champion Cal State Monterey Bay, Chico State, Simon Fraser and West Texas A&M.

Brandon Lee led SSU in the Regional, placing eighth out of 107 participants with a 221 score. Other Seawolves finishers included Eric Ash (228, tied-25th); Nicolas Daniels (229, 31st); Kenny Maroney (233, tied-47th); and Justin Shluker (234, tied-53rd).