2007-08 Women's Golf Season Review
THE
CHAMPIONS ARE BACK: After the 2006-07 season, Head Coach Richard
Warren predicted that the Boxers' fifth place finish in the Northwest Conference
championship standings was no more than a blip on the radar.
As it happened, the Boxers weren't only back, but spent the entire season as the league's dominant team in picking up their fourth NWC championship in the last five years. Pacific finished first in all but two tournaments through the NWC Championship tournament and finished no worse than third in any regular season tournament.
And they proved most dominant when it counted most. Pacific won the NWC Fall Classic by 11 strokes, tied for first with Linfield in the NWC Spring Classic and then cruised to win the NWC Championship tournament by 20 strokes. When all was said and done, Pacific posted a 6.5-point victory in the NWC Championship Point Standings to claim their first title since the point standings were adopted for the 2006-07 season. The victory also gave Pacific the conference's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Championships, the first such trip for the Boxers' program.
The trophy in 2008 was Pacific's fourth and ties the Boxers for the most conference titles won since the sport was first sponsored by the conference in 1998. Linfield won four straight NWC championships between 2000 and 2003.
NCAA
TOURNAMENT: A rocky start eventually led to smooth sailing for
Pacific in their first NCAA Division III Championships as the Boxers finished
in 18th place in the tournament held at the Centennial Oaks Golf Club in
Waverly, Iowa.
After shooting a 349 on the first day of the tournament, the Boxers consistently dropped their scores by an average of 10 strokes each of the next three days to finished with a four-day total of 1,341. The Boxers shot 337 on day two, 323 on day three and 332 on the final day. The third day round of 323 was the second lowest for the Boxers all season, bettered only by a 322 shot at the NWC Fall Classic.
"There wasn't a single thing bad thing that can talk about today," Warren said following the tournament. "They were exceptional with what they did. We got lots of compliments from other coaches about how quickly our girls played and how polite they are and how good they were. A lot of coaches were impressed with how we had such a tough start and then just knocked strokes off of our scores."
Freshman Valerie Kitamori led the Boxers individually, tying for 60th place overall. After shooting a round of 85 on the first day, Kitamori dropped to an 83 and then shot identical rounds of 81 days three and four. Senior Kelly Hartley finished in a tie for 77th place in her final tournament. Hartley shot rounds of 86 on the first two days before turning in her lowest round of the season, a 79, on day three.
Methodist University put the wraps on their 11th consecutive NCAA Division III Championship, finishing the tournament 39 strokes ahead of second place DePauw. Susan Martin of Methodist was the national individual champion with a four-day score of 294, three strokes ahead of teammate and defending champion Katie Dick.
YOU GOTTA HAVE HART-LEY: While Kelly Hartley may not have received the notoriety of some of the younger players on the team; the senior's presence on the team provided some needed stability that helped bring the Boxers together for their fourth title.
In nine regular season tournaments, Hartley placed no worse than seventh place. She finished seventh in the NWC Championships, finishing just one place out of earning All-NWC honors. Hartley placed second overall in three of her four fall tournaments, including the NWC Fall Classic where she finished four strokes behind Linfield's Brynn Hurdus. During the spring, Hartley finished no worse than fourth until the NWC Championships.
In the NWC Championships, it was Hartley's turnaround that helped the Boxers lock the title.
After shooting her worst round of the season at 93 on the first day, Hartley rebounded to shoot her best round of the season to date, shooting an 82 to improve 13 places to seventh place. Hartley went on to better to best 18-hole round at the NCAA championships, shooting a 79 in the third round. Hartley finished the season with the Boxers' best stroke average, averaging 85.50 strokes in 20 rounds.
KEEPING
IT IN THE PARK: The Boxers' pipeline from Hawaii's Waiakea High
School continues to run strong for Pacific golf as Tami Park established
her position in the lineup. Park performed exceptionally well in her first
year in the program, earning All-NWC honors after tying for third at the
NWC Championships. Park shot her lowest two-round score in the tournament,
carding a 166, which included a round of 81 on the second day that tied
her season best.
Park finished no worse than eighth in seven regular season tournaments and finished third in the NWC Championships despite playing in just two events during the spring due to class conflicts. Park finished with the team's lowest stroke average of the spring at 85.11 and finished with a season stroke average of 85.64.
STRONG START, SOLID FINISH: After emerging in her freshman season as one of the Boxers' key components, sophomore Jasmine Ching punctuated a solid start to her season by earning All-NWC honors for the second straight season. Ching finished sixth at the NWC Championships and was of two Pacific players to earn all-conference distinction.
Ching captured the all-conference plaque by recovering from a disappointing spring that saw her shoot no lower than 87 during the spring leading up to the NWC Championships. On the Aspen Lakes track, Ching turned on her best two-day performance of the second half, carding scores of 87 and 85 to finish with a 172, three strokes ahead of teammate Kelly Hartley for sixth place.
During the fall, Ching was on top of her game. After a rocky start of a 90 in the season-opening Pacific Five-Way, Ching dropped to an 83 in her next tournament before turning in a team's lowest 18-hole round of the season, a five-over-par 77, on her way to tying for third place at the NWC Fall Classic.
NOT TO BE OUTDONE: Pacific could not have won without the third piece of their current Waiakea connection. Freshman Valerie Kitamori played a critical role in the team's successes, placing in the top-10 in all but one of the regular season tournaments she played in. She tied for seventh place in the NWC Fall Classic after shooting an 82 on the tournament's second day, tied for eighth at the NWC Spring Classic and was tied for 13th at the NWC Championships.
Kitamori saved her best for last, turning in the Boxers' lowest individual score at the NCAA Division III Championships. After shooting an 85 and 83 in the first two rounds, Kitamori carded identical rounds of 81 in the third and fourth rounds. Her four-day score of 330 tied Kitamori for 60th place.
NASH RAMBLER: After spending much of the season as a consistent role player in the Boxers' lineup, LeAnna Nash showed at the NCAA Championships that she is capable of the rounds that will make her a leader for the team in her senior year. After shooting only two rounds lower than 90 during the regular season, Nash saw a dramatic improvement in the nationals. After a 99 on the first day, Nash rebounded to shoot her three lowest rounds of the year. She carded an 83 on the second day, an 81 on the third day and an 85 in the final round.
The Bend, Ore., native was also a critical part of the Boxers' team successes at the NWC Championships. Nash was part of a group of four Boxers that finished in the top-10, tying for eighth place with her two-day score of 176.
COACH OF THE YEAR: Pacific's dominance on the links was recognized once again by Northwest Conference coaches, who once again honored Richard Warren with the league's Coach of the Year Award. It is the fourth time in his seven years leading the Boxers that Warren has been selected as the conference's top coach. In addition, Warren recently completed his second year as a member of the NCAA Division III Women's Golf Championships Committee, which helps select the field for the national tournament.