Turlock High’s boys golf team, undefeated champs of the Central California Athletic League’s regular season, cruised to victory at the league tournament on Monday at Greenhorn Creek Resort with all five players shooting under 80.
Turlock recorded a sizzling 377, 60 shots better than runner-up Gregori (437). Enochs (439) finished third, ahead of Pitman (443) and Modesto (559).
Clark Van Gaalen, who's made a verbal commitment to play at the University of Oklahoma, was the low medalist with a round of 73, one stroke better than teammate Harry Clark, who carded a 74.
Nihal Gill and Christian Maggard shot matching 76’s, while Aiden Salcedo finished with a six-over-par 78 for the Bulldogs.
“We have the potential to go low,” said Turlock High coach Jason Boswell. “We can go 370, while there are some teams that don’t have that potential. Having said that, we have to go out and do it.”
After the Turlock five, the next lowest individual score was recorded by Pitman’s Davis Cornell, who shot an 82. Dylan Freeman carded an 87, while Noah Hobbs shot 89. Roman Piro finished with a 92, while Sam Skalinder rounded out the Pride’s five with a 93.
Van Gaalen started off the day with three consecutive bogeys, but righted the ship and shot 2-under over the final 15 holes.
The Bulldogs are now gearing up to defend their Sac-Joaquin Section divisional title on May 8.
“We’re really hitting our stride now,” said Boswell. “They’re playing all over the place and that’s kind of what separates people — the amount of time they spend working on their craft.”
After the divisional round, Turlock is expected to qualify for the section’s Masters tournament, where they’ll be looking to make up for a sixth-place finish at the 2022 Masters tournament.
Individually, aside from CIF tournaments, Van Gaalen has a string of important tournaments on the horizon.
“Clark has a U.S. Open qualifier coming up run a couple of week at Ruby Hills in Pleasanton,” said Boswell. “He’s also going to do the Junior (U.S.) Amateur and (U.S.) Amateur. These are the types of things these guys are doing. Tournaments throughout the state.”
- Joe Cortez/The Journal
Coyotes, Pride inaugural boys volleyball seasons end in playoff openers
The boys volleyball teams of Denair High and Pitman High each saw their inaugural seasons come to an end on Tuesday night in the first round of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.
For the Coyotes, they were given the No. 12 seed in the Division IV bracket. The ranking booked them a trip up to Sacramento to face off with West Campus, who were the No. 5 seed. They fell in three sets 25-15, 25-21 and 25-19.
“Great season. Lost in three, but still worth the trip,” said Denair head coach Christy North. “Some amazing plays and so much energy from the bench. I’m so proud of these young men.”
With the loss, the Coyotes finish their first full boys volleyball season with a 6-6 overall record and a 4-2, second-place standing in the Southern Athletic League.
In nearby Folsom, the Pride suffered a similar fate as the No. 14 seed in the Division I bracket.
In the bracket, the Pride had to Folsom High to face the No. 3 Folsom High Bulldogs. Like the Coyotes, they fell in straight sets. They fell in set one by a 25-8 score, set two 25-20 and in set three 25-15.
The Pride finish their 2023 campaign with a 9-10 overall record and 6-4 record in the Central California Athletic League.
“So proud of these young men for all they accomplished, so much growth this season,” said Pitman coach Kristen Pontes-Christian.
— CHRISTOPHER CORREA/The Journal
