San Marcos and Dos Pueblos girls golf dominated the Channel League Individual Championship, claiming eight of the top 10 spots on Monday at Santa Barbara Golf Club, a par 72.
Dos Pueblos junior Celeste Alcaraz repeated as the Channel League champion with a first-place performance, shooting a six-over-par 78 to finish nine strokes in front of the field.
“Celeste was amazing today. It’s not easy to repeat as Channel League Individual champion,” Dos Pueblos head coach Dan Choi said. “She was a little shaky on the range, but I knew she was feeling it when she crushed her first drive down the middle of the first hole. She told me later that she wanted to tee off first and set the tone for herself. That is the true competitive spirit that allows her to come through under pressure.
“Celeste is so committed to getting better despite having to share a lot of time with soccer. It is truly a rare athlete who can excel at a high level at such different sports. It was great to see her hard work pay off.”
San Marcos senior Mia Rocha came in after Alcaraz in second place, carding a score of 87 in the 18-hole match.
“[Rocha] said she had a lot of fun playing today, which contributed to her low score,” San Marcos head coach Sarah Ashton said.
While Ventura senior Oakley Moran slotted into third place at 88, the next five golfers were either Royals or Chargers.
San Marcos junior Simrin Singh earned fourth place at 89, while senior Chloe Bellamy and sophomore Cana Spieker tied for seventh place at 104, representing the Royals.
“[Singh] had great putting today and did a nice job on the par 3s, especially today,” Ashton said. “I’m proud of each of my five girls who played their best today.”
Senior Sierra Kaderali rounded out the San Marcos golfers with a score of 109 in 10th place, putting the entire Royal lineup in the top 10.
As for the Chargers, sophomores Bella Sebastian and Alina Van Hooijdonk came in fifth and sixth place, respectively. Sebastian shot a 98 and Van Hooijdonk finished her day with a 103.
“We have relied on Bella so much this year for so much of our team’s success. Alina is the one who is always willing to put in the extra work and it is really paying off,” Choi said.
Dos Pueblos also got solid showings from Sophia Fuste (11th, 110), Sophie Ralston (15th, 120) and Macy Prahm (17th, 121) to finish off the team’s competitors.
Alcaraz, Rocha and Singh will represent their schools at the CIF-SS Individuals next Monday.
Santa Barbara High @ Pacific View League Individual Championship
The Dons competed in their league championship at Olivas Links Golf Course in Ventura on Monday.
Santa Barbara High junior Ceci Duarte punched her ticket to CIF-SS Individuals next week with a fourth-place finish, shooting a 99 on the par-72 course.
“Ceci has been our team’s leader this entire season,” Santa Barbara High head coach Ryan Throop said. “Off the tee and on the green, her game has continued to improve this year. Ceci remains humble and enjoys the process of striving to get better each day.”
Hannah Mahboob also turned in a strong showing for the Dons, placing 13th out of 30 golfers and carding her first-ever birdie.
