Chasing The Leaderboard - A Season In Review
7/14/2021 11:05:00 AM | Women's Golf
RIVERSIDE --- California Baptist University women's golf team made the most of the shortened 2020-21 season, as the Lancers finished inside the top four in all five team tournaments.
It was a memorable year to look back on for the women's golf team, as it started off strong with its first-ever win over Cal State Fullerton in the SoCal Ryder Cup. It marked the third time the Lancers and the Titans competed for the Cup, as the Lancers came away with an 11-1 victory in the match-play style one-day tournament.
The Lancers then went on to finish fourth at The Valley Invitational, second at the GCU Invitational, and had three straight third-place finishes at the Pizza Hut Lady Thunderbird Invitational, the Red Rocks Invitational and the Bobcat Spring Invitational.
CBU finished the five-team tournaments with 13 rounds under its belt and an average team score of 298.92, which is the third-best in the program's history.
Redshirt freshman Sofia Chabon and true freshman Hailey Loh led the Lancers in scoring with an average of 74.50 and 74.94, respectively. The duo earned a spot on the All-Western Athletic Conference Second Team. It marked the seventh consecutive season the Lancers have produced multiple all-conference golfers after the 2019-20 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This TEAM has depth and has been consistent all year," said Head Coach Marc Machado. "Sofia and Hailey, who are both freshman eligibility-wise, have been very consistent for us. Both have lots of talent and haven't even begun to scratch the surface of what their potential is. Their TEAM has played a big part in their success also. We celebrate any individual success as a TEAM because it always takes everyone pushing and pulling the whole way. The future is bright for CBU Women's Golf."
When it came to the classroom, the Lancers produced five Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-American Scholars. Chabon, Diana Araneta, Samantha Martirez, Jocelyn Chee, and Belle Balkan all received the prestigious honor from the WGCA. Martirez, a redshirt senior, set a new program record with her fifth straight All-American Scholar honor.
It also marked the sixth straight season the Lancers have posted four or more student-athletes on the WGCA All-American Scholar Team. In the 2019-20 season, the Lancers set a new program record for most All-American Scholars in a single season with six.
"This TEAM embodies what it truly means to be a student-athlete," added Machado. "We put a lot of emphasis on excelling in both the classroom and on the course, and this TEAM continues to strive to be the best at both."
