Pirates take second overall at OEC opener
CERRITOS -- The Orange Coast College women's golf team kicked off its 2022 season with a solid second-place performance against the rest of the Orange Empire Conference in a matchup on Monday at Ironwood Golf Club.
The Pirates, fresh off of their State Finals appearance from a year ago, carded a team score of 353, trailing only Saddleback (324) for the top spot. College of the Desert finished two shots behind Coast with a 355, followed by Fullerton (364), Mt. San Antonio (380), Cuyamaca (386) and Mt. San Jacinto (388).
Meah Collins and Emma Ashcraft -- two key pieces of last year's finals run, returned to the Pirates for the 2022 campaign and led the way on Monday, with Collins shooting a 3-over-par, 75 and Ashcraft carding a 12-over, 84. Collins' 75 was the second-lowest score in the entire field, topped only by Fullerton College's Catherine Lee's 73. Only two other golfers -- Saddleback's Nicole Whipple (76) and Desert's Demi Pierce (79) finished in the 70s as all participants battled the heat and a top-level golf course.
Fellow returner, Michelle Manzo, carded a 97, as did teammate Lexi Jaeger, while April Garcia shot a 98 for the Pirates.
Coast will take part in the Cuyamaca Tournament on Wednesday at Cottonwood Golf Club (10 a.m.) before returning to OEC action on Wednesday at Soboba Springs Country Club (11 a.m.).
