2008 Woodie Awards
Number one Seawolves eye national championship
Peter Cady
Issue date: 4/1/08 Section: Sports
The goal of the no. 1 ranked Sonoma State University men's golf team for the 2007-2008 season is to win a Division II National Championship, which entails first making it to the NCAA West Regionals. With two tournaments remaining before the regionals, the Seawolves appear to be on the path to get there.
"We are a lock for the West Regionals with our performance in the fall and (in) the spring," said 5th-year head coach Val Verhunce.
The team recently finished 2nd in the Bobcat Invitational hosted by Georgia College & State University and played in Eatonton, Ga. from March 23-25. The tournament featured 17 teams, 11 of which were ranked in the top 20 in the country.
Along with the Bobcat Invitational, the team has played in two other tournaments in the last month, the Cal State Bakersfield Spring Invitational, where they finished 3rd out of 14 teams, and the Notre Dame de Namur Invitational, where they finished 4th out of 14 teams.
Verhunce thought that his team could have done better in the Bakersfield and Notre Dame de Namur events, but feels that participating in the Bobcat Invitational was a good way to put them in a position to make a run for the National Championship.
"We haven't played up to our potential (in the two tournaments before the Bobcat Invitational)," said Verhunce. "It's the mental element of the game that has been hurting us. This tournament in Georgia was what we needed to get our bearings in order and make a push for the national championship."
The Seawolves will play in the Stanislaus/Buzzini Invitational on April 14-15 at the Turlock Country Club before heading to the Hunter Ranch Golf Course in Paso Robles to play in the CCAA Championships, which will take place on April 21-22.
The team can get an automatic berth to the West Regionals, held at Adobe Creek Golf Club in Petaluma from May 5-7, by winning the CCAA Tournament, but they should have no trouble getting an at-large berth to the event. Of the eight teams that will participate in the tournament, seven will be at-large teams that have the best records.
"We are a lock for the West Regionals with our performance in the fall and (in) the spring," said 5th-year head coach Val Verhunce.
The team recently finished 2nd in the Bobcat Invitational hosted by Georgia College & State University and played in Eatonton, Ga. from March 23-25. The tournament featured 17 teams, 11 of which were ranked in the top 20 in the country.
Along with the Bobcat Invitational, the team has played in two other tournaments in the last month, the Cal State Bakersfield Spring Invitational, where they finished 3rd out of 14 teams, and the Notre Dame de Namur Invitational, where they finished 4th out of 14 teams.
Verhunce thought that his team could have done better in the Bakersfield and Notre Dame de Namur events, but feels that participating in the Bobcat Invitational was a good way to put them in a position to make a run for the National Championship.
"We haven't played up to our potential (in the two tournaments before the Bobcat Invitational)," said Verhunce. "It's the mental element of the game that has been hurting us. This tournament in Georgia was what we needed to get our bearings in order and make a push for the national championship."
The Seawolves will play in the Stanislaus/Buzzini Invitational on April 14-15 at the Turlock Country Club before heading to the Hunter Ranch Golf Course in Paso Robles to play in the CCAA Championships, which will take place on April 21-22.
The team can get an automatic berth to the West Regionals, held at Adobe Creek Golf Club in Petaluma from May 5-7, by winning the CCAA Tournament, but they should have no trouble getting an at-large berth to the event. Of the eight teams that will participate in the tournament, seven will be at-large teams that have the best records.
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