Morgan Hill, Calif. - San Jose State University completed a sweep of the Western Athletic Conference women's golf championships leading from start to finish capturing the team title with sophomore Jenelle Gomez taking first individually.
San Jose State finished with a 54-hole team total of 922 on the par 72, 6,193-yard Coyote Creek Golf Club Valley Course. The Spartans, who had the best team score in first and final rounds, were nine strokes better than New Mexico State, second at 931. Idaho and Fresno State tied for third at 939. Nevada at 944, Hawaii at 949 and Boise State at 950 rounded out the seven-team field.
"We went to our hall of fame last night and showed them the (NCAA) championship trophies from the past teams, showed them the highlight video and reminded them of their responsibility as Spartan women golfers. It's to be more than just good. It's to be great. That's what we're ultimately trying to build here," said San Jose State coach John Dormann, whose team won its fourth tournament of the season and first WAC championship since 1997.
"We played the way we're capable of playing. I don't think it was any extraordinary today. Yesterday was more unusual than anything else. It was the worst round we played in a long time. Today, we got back to playing the way we played all semester - one shot at a time. Fairway, green, try to keep it as simple as possible," added the Spartans' coach about his team's 13-shot improvement from round two to round three.
Gomez won her first major college tournament posting a final-round 77 for a 227 total. She finished one stroke ahead of her teammate, Carmina Calle, and Idaho's Renee Skidmore. Melanie De Leon and second-round leader Mandi Hedberg tied for fifth at 229. Hedberg shot a final-round 82 in a plagued by seven bogeys, two double bogeys and only one birdie.
"The road to get here (the victory stand) was not that much fun. This semester, I wasn't playing well. I was getting frustrated with my game. I switched teachers. I went through injuries. I had a shoulder injury. Then I hurt my back before Stanford and I couldn't play. This tournament was more of one to go out there stay healthy and have fun. It ended working in my favor," said Gomez, who finished second individually at the 2005 WAC Championships. "It was awesome."
Gomez's win was with controversy. On the fourth tee, there was a claim she teed off outside the tee box area. Following the completion of her round, rules officials took her threesome back to the tee box to recreate the tee shot. Gomez was ruled to have teed off properly and was not accessed a two-stroke penalty that would have dropped her into a third-place tie at 229.
"It could not have been a more eventful round. There was a dispute over whether I teed off in the right or wrong place on number four. I was so nervous. I had no idea where I was and I couldn't tell them where I was. There were people who said I was in the right place. One of the girls I played with said I wasn't. I had to wait an hour and a half for a ruling to find out if I won or not," said the 2006 WAC individual champion. With the win, San Jose State earned the conference's automatic berth in the NCAA Regional Championships, May 11-13. Spartan coach John Dormann was named WAC "Coach of the Year." Skidmore was voted WAC "Player of the Year" by the conference coaches. Sirapa Kasemsamran of San Jose State, who finished 13th, was named "Freshman of the Year."
First-Team All-WAC
Laura Luethke, So., Fresno State
Dale Gammie, Jr., Hawai'i
Renee Skidmore, So., Idaho
Jenelle Gomez, So., San Jose State
Sirapa Kasemsamran, Fr., San Jose State
Second-Team All-WAC
Katie Street, Jr., Boise State
Jennifer Shipley, Fr., Fresno State
Melanie De Leon, Fr., Nevada
Lehua Wise, Jr., New Mexico State
Carmina Calle, Sr., San Jose State
Erica Moston, Fr., San Jose State
Player of the Year: Renee Skidmore, So., Idaho
Freshman of the Year: Sirapa Kasemsamran, San Jose State
Coach of the Year: John Dormann, San Jose State
Complete results of Round 3Complete results of Round 2Complete results of Round 1Click here for the Championship Central page.
NATIONAL RANKINGS - Click on the following links for updated women's golf national rankings.
GolfstatGolfweek/SagarinNGCA Top 25Golf World Top 25