Lauren Crumbaker
Staff Writer
The La Verne golf team won the 2015 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship Tournament, marking its first win of the season Tuesday at Oak Valley Golf Course.
The team is ranked second overall in SCIAC behind No. 1 Redlands.
Senior Kelby Scharmann shot a 208 putting him first place in the tournament.
Scharmann is the first conference medalist since Derek Zachman in 2012.
He was able to defeat Redlands national champion senior Bobby Holden by six shots.
“It was really good for him to get a win like that,” sophomore Alec Spencer said.
“I think he should be conference champion of the year,” he said.
The tournament started off strong with the Leopards ending day one of the three day tournament in second place.
Scharmann, senior Trent Twamley and senior Justin Smith led the team with a tied score of 73, one over par.
Spencer trailed behind them with three over par.
Senior Michael Bonicatto finished out the day with five over par and sophomore Austin Matzaganian with seven over par.
The Leopards tried to stay positive and not let the pressure get to them.
“To be one of the teams playing means that we did our job,” freshman Andrew Cooper said.
“It validates the work we did this season,” he said.
In the second round of the tournament, the Leopards seemed to find their groove ending the day with a score of 286.
Spencer led the team with seven under par and Scharmann behind him with three under.
Twamley and Matzaganian both finished four over par.
Bonicatto with five over par and Smith with 10 over par.
The team went into the third day of the tournament with a total score of 580, hoping to win the tournament.
Scharmann started out the round with three birdies in the first nine holes.
He then pulled out another four on the back nine finishing out the tournament with a score of 66 six under par.
Scharmann had a grand total of 208 eight under par putting him in first place.
Spencer finished behind him three under par and with total score of 219.
Twamley ended the tournament with a total score of 227, Bonicatto with 233.
Matzaganian finished with 239 and Smith with 243 allowing the team to take a one stroke win against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
“It is an honor and privilege to be able to play in the conference championship and in a conference so competitive as ours,” Bonicatto said.
The Leopards now play the waiting game as they hope for a possible bid to the NCAA Division III Championship May 12-15 at Grandover Resort in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Lauren Crumbaker can be reached at lauren.crumbaker@laverne.edu.
What a great shoe by Scharmann, I’ve been part of the spectators and totally loved the game. Thumbs to the champ, though I’m late to comment.!:)