By Dannielle Lowe
Both Portland golf teams officially kicked off the second half of their seasons last week. Unlike the other UP athletic programs, the golf teams play year round. Their seasons have two halves: one in the fall and one in the spring. During the winter, the teams take a brief break from Thanksgiving through Christmas, but resume play again when the spring semester begins.
"We're always out there," senior Molly Edmunds said. "We never really stop."
In the winter months, the teams still hit the best Portland courses, occasionally golfing rounds at Pumpkin Ridge, Clearwater and Ghostcreek golf courses. When it rains, the Pilots put on their rain gear and grab their umbrellas.
Both the women's and men's teams put in time at the gym during the break. The teams spent time doing extensive weight lifting and conditioning. The women already are noting improvements.
"Most people think golfers don't work out," sophomore Paige Rachor said. "And they're right. We don't usually. But during the break we worked out with Virginia and we're all noticing that we're hitting the ball a little farther."
The women's team opened the spring season by tying for seventh place at the 17-team Lady Braveheart Classic in Beaumont, Calif. Portland finished with a 658 team stroke score after finishing opening day in second place. The Pilots were satisfied with the finish but want to do better
"One of our goals this season is to improve our second-round totals," Rachor said. "We always tend to fall off in the second round after we do well in the first. We just need stronger finishes."
In addition to better second-round scores, the Pilots would also like to win a tournament. Last season, the Pilots claimed their first team title since 2001. According to senior Kristin Howell, the Pilots hope to repeat that performance.
"We won a tournament last season, and we want to be the defending champs this year," Howell said. "We want to finish the season strong. It's our senior year, and I'd like to see us go out with a bang."
The team is relatively young, carrying three freshmen and only two seniors - Howell and Edmunds. Junior Taryn Kuida is the top returnee for the Pilots. Last season she posted three top-10 finishes and finished ninth at the WCC Championships.
Rachor also returned after placing second individually at the Matador Spring Invitational to help her team win its first title. During the Lady Braveheart Classic, Rachor followed an opening round with a 78-stroke score with an 85-stroke score. She was Portland's top individual finisher.
The Pilots will be on the green again at the Cal State Bakersfield tournament in Bakersfield, Calif. The two-day tourney at the Bakersfield Country Club begins on March 17.
The men's team returns to the course on Monday for the Anteater Invitational hosted by Santa Ana CC in Santa Ana, Calif. According to senior Joel Johnson, the Pilots are excited for the second part of their season and hope to finish as successfully as they started.
"Expectations are pretty high," Johnson said. "We want to play at the same level as we did in the fall or better. If we do that, we have pretty good shot at getting into the regional tournament."
The Pilots hope to qualify for regionals for the first time ever this spring. The team has a few tournaments to go before it will know for sure. According to Johnson, the team played exceptionally well in the fall.
The Pilots moved up approximately 80 spots in the NCAA ranking after placing in the top three at four of their seven tournaments. The men took third twice, second once, and capped off the fall half with a first-place finish at the Santa Clara Invitational.
The seven-man team is very young with only one senior, one junior, three sophomores and two traveling freshmen. Johnson and sophomore Terence Macatangay have both been golfing consistently well; each has a pair of top-10 finishes and two top-20 finishes. Johnson is averaging 72.18 strokes a round, while Macatangay has an average of 72.26.
"All of the golfers have been stepping up and golfing well," Johnson said.
The Pilots have three consecutive upcoming tournaments before the WCC Championships at University Place, Wash., where they will compete for a spot at the regional tournament.
