Both the men's and women's golf teams boast seasoned players
By Andy Matarrese
The 2007-08 Pilot golf season began with a promising start for both teams. With the men tying for third, and the women placing ninth at the Guistana Memorial Classic at the par 72 Trysting Tree Golf Club in Corvallis on Sept. 18.
The men placed four golfers in the top 20 at the two-day, three-round tournament. Senior Joel Johnson finished highest, with a tie for fifth.
Johnson opened with an impressive five under par 67, finishing up with a 72 and 71, scoring a six under 210 after three rounds.
Johnson is among five returning golfers and one of two upperclassmen on the seven-man team, which came in last at last year's WCC Championships.
Freshman Jake Wagner began with back-to-back 69s before ending with a 76, scoring two under par in his first collegiate tournament. Also new on the team is freshman Justin Smithhisler, who ended the tournament at even par after shooting 73-72-71.
The event was the first of its kind in collegiate golf, according to sophomore Paige Rachor. All the groups at the event were composed of men and women from the same schools.
The men's and women's teams' totals were combined at the end of the tournament, with the Pilot golf program scoring 1,817 for ninth place.
Leading the UP women was junior Taryn Kuida, who shot a 233 (75-78-80) to tie for 27th place.
The women didn't fare as well as the men, attaining ninth place out of ten teams. The women's team is also relatively young, with three freshmen joining the seven-woman roster for the 2007-08 season.
New to the women's team are freshmen Kalyn Doge, Briget Gleason and Lisa Okazaki.
"We have four returners who have traveled," Rachor said, adding that their experience will go a long way in helping acclimate the newcomers.
Last year, the women's team also placed last at the WCC Championships.
The next match is in Boise at Banbury Golf Club for the Bronco Fall Invitational on Oct. 9 to 10.
For their next match, the men head to Simi Valley, Calif., and the Wood Ranch Golf Club for the Bill Cullum Invitational on Oct. 15 to 16.
