2009 Match Stories
By Dave Loveton, SBCC sports information
Sunday, August 30 -- South Coast Classic, first round at par-70 Buenaventura GC, Ventura, noon.
SBCC takes lead at South Coast Classic
Asaka Sim shoots 76 for defending state champs
SBCC picked up where it left off on the golf course last year by grabbing a two-stroke lead Sunday after the first round of the South Coast Classic at par-70 Buenaventura GC in Ventura. The defending state champion women's team shot 321, two strokes better than Bakersfield.
Vaquero sophomore Asaka Sim, a former Dos Pueblos High standout and the reigning individual state champ, carded a 76 and is in third place, three strokes behind the leader. SBCC's Jenna Boyle shot 77 and Sumika Sim and freshman Nicole Denny had 84s.
Santiago Canyon is third in the seven-team event at 332, followed by Canyons (334) and Palomar (339).
"The important thing is to gain experience for our new players," said Vaquero coach Chuck Melendez, who has four returning players and four newcomers. "I think they were a little disappointed today. We'll get better and better as the season goes on."
The final round will be held on Monday at Olivas Links, starting at 9 a.m. It will also count as Western State Conference Meet No. 1.
South Coast Classic
First round
At par-70 Buenaventura GC, Ventura
Team -- 1, SBCC 321. 2, Bakersfield 323. 3, Santiago Canyon 332. 4, Canyons 334. 5, Palomar 339. 6, Saddleback 349. 7, Mt. SAC 368.
Individual -- 1, Katherine James, Bakersfield, 73. SBCC scores -- 3, Asaka Sim 76, Jenna Boyle 77, Sumika Sim 84, Nicole Denny 84, Anna Samson 87, Kait Gatena 90. Competed as individual: Alyssa DiVincent, SBCC, 91.
Monday, August 31 -- South Coast Classic, final round at Olivas Links, Ventura, 9 a.m.
SBCC takes 2nd at South Coast Classic
Bakersfield achived a rare feat on Monday, beating the SBCC women's golf team twice in one day.
The Renegades, who started the final round of the South Coast Classic two shots back, turned in a solid 310 on Monday to down Santa Barbara by 13 strokes (633-646) at par-72 Olivas Links in Ventura. The Vaqueros, who went 44-1 in the WSC last year on the way to their second state title in three years, shot 325.
Bakersfield (4-0) also captured WSC No. 1 with their 22-over-par total that was 15 shots better than SBCC (3-1).
Sophomore Asaka Sim, the defending state champion from Dos Pueblos High, shot her second straight 76 for the Vaqueros and placed third at 152, one stroke behind the winners. Katherine James (73-78) of Bakersfield and Beth Sellers (76-75) of Palomar shared medalist honors.
Jenna Boyle finished at 155 for the Vaqueros, followed by freshmen Kait Gatena (90-82--172) and Nicole Denny (84-89--173).
"We didn't play very well but it's very early," said SBCC coach Chuck Melendez. "We have a great deal of potential. Bakersfield's 310 is one of the best early season scores I've seen in a while. That's going to force us to work harder."
South Coast Classic
Final round (36 holes)
At par-72 Olivas Links GC, Ventura
Bakersfield 323-310--633
SBCC 321-325--646
Palomar 339-326--665
Santiago Canyon 332-339--671
Saddleback 349-327--676
Canyons 334-343--677
Mt. SAC 368-398--766
Co-Medalists--Katherine James, B, 73-78--151; Beth Sellers, P, 76-75--151.
SBCC scores--3, Asaka Sim 76-76--152, Jenna Boyle 77-78--155, Kait Gatena 90-82--172, Nicole Denny 84-89--173, Sumika Sim 84-91--175, Anna Samson 87-90--177.
WSC No. 1
At par-72 Olivas Links, Ventura
Team--1, Bakersfield 310. 2, SBCC 325. 3, Canyons 343. No score: Glendale, Citrus.
Medalist--Ellen Krausse, B, 75. SBCC scores--Asaka Sim 76, Jenna Boyle 78, Kait Gatena 82, Nicole Denny 89, Anna Samson 90, Sumika Sim 91.
Standings--Bakersfield 4-0, SBCC 3-1, Canyons 2-2, Citrus 0-4, Glendale 0-4.
Friday, Sept. 11 -- Desert Classic, first round at Indian Canyons GC, Palm Springs, 7 a.m.
Vaqueros fifth at midpoint of Desert Classic
Freshman Kaitlyn Gatena fires 3-over 75
Freshman Kaitlyn Gatena turned in a 3-over-par 75 on Friday, leading SBCC to fifth place after one round of the Desert Classic women's golf tournament at Indian Canyon in Palm Springs.
Asaka Sim shot 79 and Jenna Boyle tallied 83 for Santa Barbara, which totaled 324 strokes. Sacramento City grabbed the first-round lead in the 13-school event at 298.
"We didn't play super today," noted SBCC coach Chuck Melendez. "This shows us what the competition is like and it's stiff. We need to build some consistency."
The final round will be played today.
At par-72 Indian Canyon, Palm Springs
First round
Desert Classic
Team leaders (13 schools) -- 1, Sacramento City 298. 2, Palomar 312. 3, Sierra 313. 4, Santiago Canyon 314. 5, SBCC 324. 6, Saddleback 327. 7, Bakersfield 328. 8, Modesto 332. 9, Canyons 337. 10, Santa Ana 356.
Medalist -- Beth Cowan, Sierra, 69. SBCC scores -- Kait Gatena 75, Asaka Sim 79, Jenna Boyle 83, Nicole Denny 87, Sumika Sim 90. Competed as individual -- Anna Samson 81.
Saturday, Sept. 12 -- Desert Classic, final round at Indian Canyons GC, Palm Springs.
SBCC takes 7th at Desert Classic
SBCC shot 332 on Saturday for a 656 total that gave them seventh place in the 36-hole Desert Classic women's golf tournament at Indian Canyon in Palm Springs.
Kaitlyn Gatena, a freshman from Westlake, was the Vaqueros' low scorer with a 154 (75-79) in the two-day tourney. Asaka Sim shot 160 and Jenna Boyle 166. Sacramento City shot 290 on Saturday and finished at 588, 29 strokes ahead of Palomar.
Lynn Cowan of Sierra was the medalist with two straight rounds of 3-under 69.
"There were some plusses but we have our work cut out for us," said SBCC coach Chuck Melendez, whose team won the state title last year. "This is the strongest group of teams I've seen in the state in quite a while."
SBCC's Anna Samson shot 81-78--159 but her score didn't count because the tourney used a "five play, four score" format instead of the usual "six play, four score."
Desert Classic
Final round
At par-72 Indian Canyon, Palm Springs
Team leaders (13 schools) -- 1, Sacramento City 298-290--588. 2, Palomar 312-305--617. 3, Sierra 313-315--628. 4, Santiago Canyon 314-316--630. 5 (tie), Canyons 337-316--653, Bakersfield 328-325--653. 7, SBCC 324-332--656. 8, Saddleback 327-337--664. 9, Modesto 332-337--669. 10, Desert 370-352--722.
Medalist -- Lynn Cowan, Sierra, 69-69--138. SBCC scores -- Kaitlyn Gatena 75-79--154, Asaka Sim 79-81--160, Jenna Boyle 83-83--166, Nicole Denny 87-89--176, Sumika Sim 90-91--181. Competed as individual -- Anna Samson 81-78--159.
Monday, Sept. 21 -- WSC No. 2, hosted by SBCC at par-72 Alisal Ranch, Solvang, 1 p.m. Record: 6-2
Boyle, Gatena lead Vaqueros to second
SBCC shot 348 on Monday in WSC No. 2 at Alisal Ranch but came up three strokes short of Bakersfield in the five-school women's golf tournament at Solvang. Canyons was third at 367.
Jenna Boyle led the Vaqueros at 84, followed by freshmen Kait Gatena (85) and Alyssa DiVincent (88). Asaka Sim, the defending state champion, shot 92 and her score didn't count in the team total.
"It was a hot day (92 degrees) and the course got the better of us," said SBCC coach Chuck Melendez. "There were lots of three-putts. The course kind of defeated everybody. We need to build consistency."
Dee Ray of Bakersfield was the medalist at 80.
The Vaqueros return to action on Sept. 28 in WSC No. 3 at Oakmont CC in Glendale.
WSC No. 2
At par-72 Alisal Ranch
Team -- Bakersfield 345, SBCC 348, Canyons 367, Glendale 535, Citrus (no score).
Medalist -- Dee Ray, B, 80.
SBCC scores -- Jenna Boyle 84, Kait Gatena 85, Alyssa DiVincent 88, Nicole Denny 91, Anna Samson 91, Asaka Sim 92.
WSC standings -- Bakersfield 8-0, SBCC 6-2, Canyons 4-4, Glendale 1-7, Citrus 0-8.
Monday, Sept. 28 -- SBCC at WSC No. 3, hosted by Glendale at Oakmont CC, 10 a.m.
Vaqueros are third in WSC No. 3
SBCC finished third in the third WSC tournament on Monday at par-73 Oakmont CC in Glendale and remained in second place for the season. The Vaqueros, who shot 355, are tied for second with Canyons at 8-4, three games behind Bakersfield (11-1). Canyons won its first WSC event with a 345 total and Bakersfield was second at 349.
Kait Gatena led the Vaqueros with an 86, followed by Anna Samson (88) and Asaka Sim (89).
"It was another tough course," said SBCC coach Chuck Melendez. "We're still not quite putting it together. We need to be more consistent.
"It's still early though and I'm confident we'll get better."
The Vaqueros will host the North-South Invitational on Sunday at Dairy Creek in San Luis Obispo and Monday at Morro Bay CC.
WSC No. 3
At par-73 Oakmont CC, Glendale
Team -- Canyons 345, Bakersfield 349, SBCC 355, Glendale 524, Citrus (no score).
Medalist -- Katherine James, B, 77.
SBCC scores -- Kait Gatena 86, Anna Samson 88, Asaka Sim 89, Jenna Boyle 92.
WSC standings -- Bakersfield 11-1, SBCC 8-4, Canyons 8-4, Glendale 3-9, Citrus 0-12.
Sunday, Oct. 4 -- North-South Invitational, first round at Dairy Creek GC, San Luis Obispo, 11:30 a.m.
Vaqueros in third at North-South tourney
North-South Invitational
SBCC survived a windy Sunday and grabbed third place in the opening round of the 10-team North-South Women's Golf Invitational at Dairy Creek GC in San Luis Obispo. The Vaqueros shot 344, nine shots behind the co-leaders, Bakersfield and Sacramento City.
Jenna Boyle is tied for third at 80 with SBCC teammate Asaka Sim in fifth at 81. Ellen Krausse of Bakersfield was the medalist at 4-over-par 76.
"It was real windy, almost gale-force at times," said Vaquero coach Chuck Melendez. "We had a few people sick and we're still in position to do something on Monday."
The final round will be played Monday morning at Morro Bay GC.
At par-72 Dairy Creek CC
San Luis Obispo
First round
Team -- 1 (tie), Sacramento City, Bakersfield 335. 3, SBCC 344. 4, Modesto 353. 5, Canyons 355. 6, Sierra 375. 7, Desert 385. 8, San Joaquin Delta 398. 9, Long Beach. 10, Butte (no score).
Medalist -- Ellen Krausse, B, 76.
SBCC scores -- 3 (tie), Jenna Boyle 80. 5, Asaka Sim 81. Nicole Denny 91, Anna Samson 92.
Monday, Oct. 5 -- North-South Invitational, final round at Morro Bay CC, 8:30 a.m.
Vaqueros take third in North-South Invitational
Sophomore Asaka Sim shot the best round of the day and her best round of the season on Monday with a 2-over-par 74 that earned her second place in the North-South Women's Golf Invitational at Morro Bay GC.
Sim, the defending state champion, finished at 11-over 155 and tied for second, three shots behind the winner, Ellen Krause of Bakersfield, who shot two rounds of 76. Sacramento City topped the 10-school field at 642, followed by Bakersfield (650) and SBCC (681).
Jenna Boyle shot 87 on Monday and finished at 167 while Nicole Denny turned in an 84 to finish at 175.
"We haven't had a consistent day yet and that's been the word of the year -- consistent," said coach Chuck Melendez. "Each round I see some positives with some stepping it up and some taking steps back. That's the nature of golf. I'm still confident that this team is strong."
North-South Invitational
At par-72 Morro Bay GC
Final round
Team (10 schools) -- 1, Sacramento City 335-307--642. 2, Bakersfield 335-315--650. 3, SBCC 344-337--681. 4, Canyhons 355-330--685. 5, Modesto 353-346--699. 6, Sierra 727. 7, Desert 753. 8, Delta 778. 9, Long Beach 860. 10, Butte (no score).
Medalist -- Ellen Krausse, B, 76-76--152.
SBCC scores -- 2 (tie), Asaka Sim 81-74--155, Jenna Boyle 80-87--167, Nicole Denny 91-84--175, Anna Samson 92-92--184, Sara Borneman 103-95--198.
Monday, Oct. 19 -- SBCC at WSC No. 4, hosted by Canyons, Robinson Ranch, 11 a.m.
Sim takes second at WSC No. 4
Vaqueros finish third at Robinson Ranch
SBCC's Asaka Sim shot 79 on Monday at Robinson Ranch in Santa Clarita and finished second at WSC No. 4, one shot behind the medalist, Katherine James of Bakersfield.
The Renegades totaled 323 in the five-school women's golf event. Canyons was second at 331, followed by SBCC at 341. Bakersfield leads the WSC at 15-1, four games ahead of Canyons (11-5) and five in front of the Vaqueros (10-6).
Kait Gatena turned in an 85 for SBCC and Jenna Boyle shot 88.
"We haven't put it together as a team," said coach Chuck Melendez. "We're not firing on all cylinders and I look forward to the day that happens.
"Our mentality was good. We're halfway through the league season and we need to make a move soon."
The Vaqueros will travel to San Dimas Canyon GC for WSC No. 5 on Wednesday.
WSC No. 4
At par-72 Robinson Ranch
Santa Clarita
Team -- 1, Bakersfield 323. 2, Canyons 331. 3, SBCC 341. 4 (tie), Glendale, Citrus (no score).
Medalist -- Katherine James, B, 78.
SBCC scores -- 2, Asaka Sim 78, Kaitlyn Gatena 85, Jenna Boyle 88, Nicole Denny 89.
WSC standings -- Bakersfield 15-1, Canyons 11-5, SBCC 10-6, Glendale 3-13, Citrus 0-16.
Wednesday, Oct. 21 -- SBCC at WSC No. 5, hosted by Citrus at San Dimas GC, 11 a.m.
Boyle shoots 78 for third at WSC No. 5
Vaqueros take second at San Dimas GC
Sophomore Jenna Boyle fired a 78 on Wednesday to take third place in WSC No. 5 at San Dimas GC. Teammate Asaka Sim added an 83 for SBCC, which finished eight shots behind the winner, Bakersfield, in the women's golf event.
Nicole Denny had an 84 and Anna Samson shot 85 for the Vaqueros, who moved back into a tie for second in the WSC standings at 13-7. Bakersfield is 19-1.
"A lot of good things happened today," said coach Chuck Melendez. "Kait played well on the front, Asaka shot a 1-over 37 on the back and Jenna played a solid round. We picked up for each other and that's the important thing in golf.
"We need to play well because we're battling for a playoff spot."
There are three WSC meets remaining and the top two teams will advance to the Southern Cal Regional.
On Monday, the Vaqueros travel to RiverLakes Ranch in Bakersfield for WSC No. 6.
WSC No. 5
At par-72 San Dimas GC
Team -- 1, Bakersfield 322. 2, SBCC 330. 3, Canyons 333. 4 (tie), Glendale, Citrus (no score).
Medalist -- Katherine James, B, 76.
SBCC scores -- 3, Jenna Boyle 78, Asaka Sim 83, Nicole Denny 84, Anna Samson 85, Kait Gatena 88.
WSC standings -- Bakersfield 19-1, SBCC 13-7, Canyons 13-7, Glendale 3-17, Citrus 0-20.
Monday, Oct. 26 -- SBCC at WSC No. 6, hosted by Bakersfield at Bakersfield CC.
Sim fires 72 to win first medalist honor
Vaqueros take second in WSC No. 6
Asaka Sim fired an even-par 72 on Monday, leading SBCC to a second-place finish in WSC No. 6 at RiverLakes Ranch GC in Bakersfield. Sim, a sophomore from Dos Pueblos High who won last year's individual state title, earned her first medalist award of the season.
Freshmen Kait Gatena and Anna Samson both shot 83.
Bakersfield won the title with 301 strokes, improving its WSC record to 23-1. SBCC was second at 330, three ahead of Canyons. The Vaqueros are second in conference at 16-8, one game ahead of Canyons.
"Our mode right now is to make the playoffs (by finishing in the top two in the WSC)," said coach Chuck Melendez. "We have to beat Canyons and we did that today."
The Vaqueros will complete the regular season on Sunday and Monday in the WSC Finals (Nos. 7 and 8) at Olivas Park in Ventura.
WSC No. 6
At par-72 RiverLakes Ranch
Bakersfield
Team -- 1, Bakersfield 301. 2, SBCC 330. 3, Canyons 333. 4 (tie), Glendale, Citrus (no score).
Medalist -- Asaka Sim, SBCC, 72.
Other SBCC scores -- Kait Gatena 83, Anna Samson 83, Nicole Denny 92, Jenna Boyle 93.
WSC standings -- Bakersfield 23-1, SBCC 16-8, Canyons 15-9, Glendale 3-21, Citrus 0-24.
Sunday, Nov. 1 -- WSC Championships (WSC No. 7), Olivas Links, Ventura, 10:30 a.m.
Sim captures second straight title
She shoots 1-under 71 in WSC No. 7
Asaka Sim claimed the medalist honor for the second time in a week with a 1-under-par 71 at the WSC Women's Golf Championships on Sunday at Olivas Links GC in Ventura. She had six birdies in her season-best round and was 3-under at one point en route to beating the field by three shots at WSC No. 7.
"She's been playing super," said coach Chuck Melendez of Sim, the defending state champion. "She's starting to regain the form of last year."
Bakersfield (27-1) topped the five-team field with 306 strokes to clinch the WSC championship. Canyons was second at 331, two shots ahead of the Vaqueros. SBCC is tied for second with Canyons at 18-10 and needs to beat the Cougars in Monday's final WSC meet (also at Olivas Links) to qualify for the Southern Cal Regional on Nov. 9-10 at Los Serranos in Chino.
Jenna Boyle shot 84 for the Vaqueros while Nicole Denny carded an 88.
"It all comes down to Monday's round," Melendez added. "We're going to fight hard for that regional berth."
WSC No. 7
At par-72 Olivas Links, Ventura
Team -- 1, Bakersfield 306. 2, Canyons 331. 3, SBCC 333. 4 (tie), Glendale, Citrus (no score).
Medalist -- Asaka Sim, SBCC, 71.
Other SBCC scores -- Jenna Boyle 84, Nicole Denny 88, Kait Gatena 90, Anna Samson 94.
WSC standings -- 1, Bakersfield 27-1. 2 (tie), SBCC 18-10, Canyons 18-10. 4, Glendale 3-25. 5, Citrus 0-28.
Monday, Nov. 2 -- SBCC at WSC Championships (WSC No. 8), Olivas Links, Ventura, 10 a.m.
Vaqueros take second in WSC
Sim, Boyle lead SBCC into Southern Cal Regional
With a regional berth on the line, the SBCC women's golf team came through on Monday with a second-place finish at WSC No. 8 that propelled the Vaqueros into the Southern Cal Regional. Asaka Sim and Jenna Boyle tied for third at 81 and Nicole Denny shot 82 at par-72 Olivas Links in Ventura.
Bakersfield (31-1) won the meet with 317 strokes, followed by SBCC (331) and Canyons (342). The Vaqueros (21-11) started the day tied with Canyons (20-12) for second and finished one game ahead in the race for the second and final regional berth.
"I'm very happy," said coach Chuck Melendez. "We were extremely focused and determined. We played great for the first nine holes."
Sim and Boyle were named first-team All-WSC, based on the their season scoring averages. Katherine James of Bakersfield, the medalist at 74, was the player of the year.
"The most important thing was our mindset," Melendez added. "We knew we had to play well and we did."
The defending state champion Vaqueros advanced to the six-team Southern Cal Regional along with Bakersfield. The regional will take place on Nov. 9-10 at Los Serranos in Chino Hills. The top two teams will move on to the State Tournament in Hanford.
WSC No. 8
At par-72 Olivas Links, Ventura
Team -- 1, Bakersfield 317. 2, SBCC 331. 3, Canyons 342. 4 (tie), Glendale, Citrus (no score).
Medalist -- Katherine James, B, 74.
SBCC scores -- 3 (tie), Asaka Sim 81, Jenna Boyle 81. Nicole Denny 82, Kait Gatena 87, Anna Samson 89.
Final WSC standings -- 1, Bakersfield 31-1. 2, SBCC 21-11. 3, Canyons 20-12. 4, Glendale 3-29. 5, Citrus 0-32.
Monday, Nov. 9 -- Southern Cal Regional, first round at Los Serranos CC, Chino Hills, 8:30 a.m.
Vaqueros in fourth at So Cal Regional
Palomar leads; SBCC eight shots out of second
SBCC shot 338 in Monday's first round of the Southern Cal Women's Golf Regional, leaving the Vaqueros eight shots away from a state qualifying spot.
Asaka Sim and Anna Samson led Santa Barbara at 82 and 83, respectively. Palomar's Beth Sellers was the medalist with an even-par 72 at Los Serranos CC in Chino Hills.
Palomar leads the six-team field at 319, followed by Bakersfield (330), Santiago Canyon (332) and SBCC. The top two teams will advance to the State Meet on Nov. 16-17 in Hanford.
"It's do or die time," said coach Chuck Melendez, whose team won state titles in 2006 and '08. "We definitely didn't play our best golf today but we're only eight back and right in contention. We just have to put it together (on Tuesday)."
The final round gets under way Tuesday at 6:30 a.m.
Southern Cal Regional
At par-72 Los Serranos CC
First round
Team (top 2 advance to state) -- 1, Palomar 319. 2, Bakersfield 330. 3, Santiago Canyon 332. 4, SBCC 338. 5, Saddleback 360. 6, Mt. SAC 395.
Medalist -- Beth Sellers, P, 72.
SBCC scores -- Asaka Sim 82, Anna Samson 83, Nicole Denny 85, Kait Gatena 88, Jenna Boyle 90.
Tuesday, Nov. 10 -- Southern Cal Regional, final round at Los Serranos CC, Chino Hills, 6:30 a.m.
Vaqueros finish fourth in Southern Cal
Season ends for defending state champs
SBCC needed a gigantic effort to advance out of the Southern Cal Regional on Tuesday at Los Serranos CC in Chino Hills but the women's golf team never got it going in the final round of the 36-hole tourney.
Palomar shot 313 and won the six-team event at 632. Bakersfield finished at 656 to earn the other qualifying spot for next week's state tournament. Santiago Canyon was third at 673 and SBCC, the defending state champion, was fourth at 688 after shooting 350 on Tuesday.
Asaka Sim, last year's state individual champ, and Anna Samson led the Vaqueros with 86s. Sim shot 168 for the tourney, one shot better than Samson, a freshman from Dos Pueblos High. Palomar's Beth Sellers was the medalist at 3-over 147 after rounds of 72 and 75.
"We talked about having a great day and we didn't get it done," said SBCC coach Chuck Melendez. "I'm proud of our effort. We gave it all we had."
Southern Cal Regional
At par-72 Los Serranos CC
Chino Hills
Final round
Team (top 2 advance to state) -- 1, Palomar 319-313--632. 2, Bakersfield 330-326--656. 3, Santiago Canyon 332-341--673. 4, SBCC 338-350--688. 5, Saddleback 360-340--700. 6, Mt. SAC 395-385--780.
Medalist -- Beth Sellers, P, 72-75--147.
SBCC scores -- Asaka Sim 82-86--168, Anna Samson 83-86--169, Kait Gatena 88-89--177, Jenna Boyle 90-89--179, Nicole Denny 85-96--181.
