Livingston golfers dominate midseason tourney

The Livingston girls golf team is well acquainted with disappointment.

The Wolves have been stuck in the roll of sidekick for the better part of a decade, finishing second in the Western Athletic Conference in seven of the last eight years.

Coach Matt Winton believed all that would change in 2016 with Livingston returning all six golfers. The group has made good on Winton’s faith, turning in a perfect record through the first round of league play. Still, even with the early success, Winton encouraged his squad to go out and make a statement at Tuesday’s WAC Midseason Tournament.

The Wolves did so emphatically, shooting a 504 and winning the crown by a convincing 108 strokes over second-place Los Banos (622) at Rancho Del Rey. Ceres finished third with a 626. Patterson (663) and Pacheco (731) finished fourth and fifth respectively.

“We knew coming into the season that we had the chance to be really good with all six golfers back,” Winton said. “We’ve talked a lot about not really comparing ourselves with everyone else in league, and maybe worrying more about putting up scores that are comparable to some of the teams we’re hoping to see at Divisionals.

“Last year 488 was the winning round and 512 was second place. With both league tournaments and Divisionals being held at Rancho, I told the girls to go out and make a statement. I was thinking 520 was going to be a pretty good round, so to go out and shoot a 504 exceeded even my expectations.”

Los Banos’ Morgan Pimentel won the individual title, shooting a 9-over par 83. Livingston’s Lexi Gonzalez wasn’t far behind with an 87. Ceres’ Hannah Smith (93), Livingston’s Angelica Rice (97) and Livingston’s Annie Winton (98) rounded out the top five.

The Wolves carded five of the top eight finishers and six of the top 11.

“Lexi Gonzalez is a legitimate No. 1 and she deserves all the credit that she gets,” Winton said. “We rely on her a lot, but I think what makes us so successful is our balance at the bottom of the team. Look at our No. 5, Marisol Padilla. When your fifth golfer is going out and shooting a competitive 116 on an 18-hole course, you’re going to be successful.”

Los Banos’ Morgan Kanemoto placed ninth overall with a 119. Adri Rodriguez paced Pacheco with a 133.

This story was originally published September 28, 2016 at 4:37 PM with the headline "Livingston golfers dominate midseason tourney."