PASO ROBLES - The College of the Canyons Cougars picked the right time to have their best team performance of the year as the Cougars battled back to capture the 3C2A Women's Golf State Championships on Tuesday at Hunter Ranch Golf Course in Paso Robles. | Complete Results / Original Release
After a respectable team score of 340 on Monday, the Cougars trimmed 20 shots off of that performance for a Tuesday total of 320 and a team score of 660, a full 14 shots clear of the field, which included state runner-up Mt. San Antonio College (674), and 15 shots ahead of Reedley (675) and Modesto (675). Reedley earned third place via a tiebreaker.
"This year, we never came close to a 320 before … all season long," Canyons head coach Gary Peterson said after his team captured his fifth women's golf state championship (2001, 2007, 2018, 2019, 2023). "This is a testament to the journey they made the entire season and how they've bonded as a team. I'm extremely proud of this group. We did not expect this at all."
Motoko Shimoji helped lead the Cougars' run to the top of the state mountain after shooting a two-round total of 149 (73-76) on the par-72 course. All of the other COC players improved on their Monday totals, including Floria Peugnet (85-75-160), Brooke Maxwell (88-80-168), Elena Ortuno Mantalban (94-89-183) and Nisha Gaulke (101-95-196).
The state runner-up Mounties also pushed forth strong on Tuesday, but came up just short of the team title, carding a Tuesday round of 326 for a two-round total of 674.
The Reedley Tigers played a steady two days of golf and finished third overall with a 675 with team scores of 337 and 338.
Tuesday's low rounds went to Peugnet and Cuyamaca's Kiana Glossner, who each shot a 3-over-par, 75.
As for the individual title, that honor went to Citrus College's Isabelle Olivas-Lowell. After shooting the low round of the tournament on Monday with a 3-under 69 (the tournament's only under-par score), she followed that up with a solid 79 for a two-day score of 148, one shot ahead of Shimoji and five shots ahead of third-place Kylie Lau of Mt. SAC.
Joining that trio atop the All-State Team for 2023 include Glossner (155), Reedley College's Ethen Asequia (155) and Fullerton College's Cathilyn Lee (156).
(Tony Altobelli, CCCSIA)
