Gonzaga sophomore Ciera Min finished tied for third at the West Coast Conference golf championships last Wednesday at Somis, Calif., earning another postseason trip.
The 2013 Waiakea graduate fired an 81-70-80—231 total, three strokes behind medalist and Pepperdine junior Marissa Chow, at the Saticoy Country Club.
In the final round, Min held the tournament lead going into the 15th hole. Chow, a 2012 Iolani grad, closed with a 2-over-par 74.
It’s not the first time Min and Chow have faced off. In 2012 at the HHSAA state championship, Min was fourth with a 73-76—149 total, six shots better than Chow.
However, Chow’s Raiders won the state title that year, making for a good senior memory. Min’s Warriors placed third, eight strokes behind.
Gonzaga earned its third straight berth to the NCAA Regionals, which will be held Thursday through Saturday at the Briggs Ranch Golf Club in San Antonio. The Bulldogs will be the 13th seed in the 18-team field.
The low six teams and the low three individuals from San Antonio and each of the other three regionals will advance to the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships slated for May 22-27 at Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla.
Min leads the Bulldogs with a 74.0 stroke average. Her best finish was at the WCC championships.
For her good work, Min was named the to All-WCC first team for the second consecutive season.
A bigger honor for Min was being named to the WCC All-Academic squad in her first year of eligibility. She has posted a 3.36 grade-point average as a biology major.
Min’s teammate Alice Kim also landed on the WCC All-Academic squad while Han Wu received honorable mention.
“I am proud of Alice, Ciera, and Han for working hard at everything they do,” Gonzaga coach Brad Rickel said. “They’re great examples of who we want to be as people, students, and golfers.”
Last season, Min’s 74.88 stroke average ranked fourth on the all-time school list.
Min’s former Waiakea teammate Nani Yanagi, a 2012 graduate, concluded her Washington State junior season at the Pac-12 championships last Wednesday.
At the Boulder Country Club in Colorado, Yanagi tied for 52nd with a 24-over 84-76-77—237 total, and the Cougars finished in last place.
Tennis
Texas Tech freshman Sarah Dvorak (2014 Waiakea) and the Lady Raiders will host the first and second rounds of the NCAA women’s championships.
The No. 16 Raiders (19-6) feature the nation’s youngest starting lineup with four freshmen, including Dvorak, who is 25-10, including 5-4 against nationally ranked opponents.
Dvorak is ranked at 114th in the nation, and has been playing as the No. 3 singles.
At the Big 12 championships, she fell to Baylor’s Blair Shankle, 6-2, 7-5.
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