OEC Golfers Moving On To Playoffs

The top four teams in the Orange Empire Conference and six individuals who are not on those teams have qualified to advance to the Southern California regional championship on the River Course at the Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort in Solvang this Sunday and Monday, November 10-11.

November 12, 2013

San Clemente, CA – The top four teams in the Orange Empire Conference and six individuals who are not on those teams have qualified to advance to the Southern California regional championship on the River Course at the Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort in Solvang this Sunday and Monday, November 10-11.

Palomar College, which captured the Orange Empire Conference title, will be joined by Fullerton College, Saddleback College, and College of the Desert in representing the OEC. Each team will be allowed to play six players, with the top four scores counting toward the team's total each day.

Palomar and Desert were absorbed by the Orange Empire Conference this season after the Foothill Conference ran short of participating teams. Saddleback will be making its fifth consecutive trip to the regional championship and 14^th trip in the past 15 seasons. The Gauchos edged out Fullerton to reach last year's regional championship. This will be Fullerton's first trip ever to the regional championship.

Missing from the regional this season will be 2012 state champion Irvine Valley College. The Lasers placed fifth in the conference this season and missed the cut after winning state titles in 2010 and 2012.

However, Irvine Valley's top two players received an individual invitation to play at the regional event. Leleaga Meredith placed second overall in the Orange Empire Conference with a 77.6 average and Cindy Dang had a 79.2 average during conference play. They will be joined by a trio of golfers from Mt. San Jacinto College in Iris Chung (78.7), Alice Hiluta (81.1) and Cheyenne Ackerman (82.6). Chung was fourth overall in the conference. Rounding out the field will be Jessica Diaz of Cuyamaca.

Although four teams (with six players on each team) advance to the regional event, only those that finished among the top 19 in the conference will be able to vie for individual medalist honors and consideration for the state tournament as an individual. From Palomar, those players also vying for individual honors include Sadye Busby and Vanessa Honnes while Fullerton is represented by Nea Bennett, Kacy Kaichi, Tiffany Kohyama, Paulina Dejamco, and Shana Siaki. Saddleback will have Makenzie Fahr, Rina Tomihari, and McKenna Pautsch vying for individual honors while Desert will be represented by Samantha Stewart, Brooke Raney, and Morgan Murphy.