Pirates conquer the field at OEC Golf Finals
MENIFEE -- The Orange Coast College women's golf continued their red-hot play on Day 2 of the Orange Empire Conference Finals on Wednesday at Menifee Lakes Golf Club with an even-better performance in Round 2 than in Round 1, topping the field and winning the two-day event by 21 shots.
Led once again by the 1-2 punch of Stephanie Tran and Meah Collins, the Pirates bettered their Monday's team score by two strokes and carded a team total of 315 for a two-round total of 632. The 315 was 12 shots better than team runner-up and overall OEC champion Saddleback College, who carded a two-day total of 653. College of the Desert was a distant third with a team score of 352-369-721, followed by Cuyamaca (773), Mt. San Antonio (793), Mt. San Jacinto (807), and Fullerton (832).
Tran and Collins, who shot matching 76s on Day 1, crossed the finish line together again with a pair of 75s on Wednesday, for a two-round total of 153 each ... both the lowest individual scores in the finals. Fullerton's Chelsey Gutierrez was two shots off of their pace with a 79-76-155.
There were only five rounds shot on Wednesday under 80 and OCC had three of them. The third came courtesy of Katie Crinella, who shot a 79 on Wednesday to finish three shots behind her teammates with a 156.
Emma Ashcraft improved eight shots from Monday's score and carded an 82 for a 172 total, with April Garcia (88-92-180) and Michelle Manzo (101-100-201) providing solid rounds as well for the Pirates.
Coast will now advance to the Southern California Regional Championships, to be played at Bakersfield's Sundale Golf Club, beginning on Sunday and Monday.
