The golf team from Cal State San Bernardino will compete in the NCAA Division II national golf tournament beginning today in Texas, but just getting there proved to be a challenge.
It’s the third straight season the Coyotes have reached the national tournament, a 72-hole event played at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston. The field will include 20 teams and 10 individuals from non-qualifying teams.
The 24th-ranked Coyotes finished 11th in the event last season and seventh in 2006 with many of the same contributors.
Cal State San Bernardino has yet to have all five players put together good rounds in the same tournament like it did a year ago in capturing the school’s first regional title. But it is capable.
“We had to knock off one of the top teams in the country just to get here,” Cal State coach Tom Mainez said. “So I don’t think finishing in the top five is unrealistic.”
Sophomore Gene Webster heads the effort. The San Bernardino native has not had quite the season he did in 2007 as a freshman but appears to be getting closer as evidenced by a second-place individual showing last week at the West Regional tourney.
Mainez said it is part mental and part physical.
“He put too much pressure on himself, being the defending everything. We had a talk about that last week,” Mainez said. “He was also going through a change in his swing.”
Rounding out the quintet representing the Coyotes are seniors Dane Bagnell and Bill Clayton, junior Micah Burke and sophomore Joe Alldis. Bagnell had a 68 and led after the first day of the regional and finished a still respectable 10th.
There was plenty of drama to get to this point.
Last week at the West Region Tournament the Coyotes had to beat Cal State Stanislaus, the No. 6 team in the country, on an extra hole after tying for fourth in the team standings with the Warriors.
The Coyotes had finished their round early and were in fifth but Cal State Monterey Bay, playing behind the Coyotes, faltered late.
“We thought we were going to just miss out and had already loaded stuff in the van,” Mainez said. “Then we started watching the scoreboard and they (Monterey Bay) started slipping. So I told the guys get stuff out and start taking some swings just in case.”
It’s a good thing they did. The Coyotes ended up winning the one-hole playoff to claim the final spot out of the region.
CCAA member Sonoma State is among the leading contenders for a team title. The Seawolves are ranked second nationally led by conference Player of the year Jarin Todd and a local product, senior Kyle Hopkins out of Apple Valley Christian.
University of West Florida is ranked No. 1. Barry University (Miami, Fla.) is the defending champion.
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