The UC Davis men’s golf team almost wasn’t the school’s first Big West Conference championship winner.
The women’s team finished league championship play at the San Luis Obispo Country Club roughly an hour before the men’s field put the wraps on its tournament.
Three women’s clubs – Long Beach State, UC Irvine and UC Davis – were vying for the top spot come final round play. When things were all said and done, the 49ers, Anteaters and Aggies were separated by a combined one stroke. One. For a league title.
UC Davis, though, was on the wrong side of that one-stroke swing.
Long Beach State claimed its first Big West title with a three-round score of 929 to hold off UC Irvine and UC Davis by the slimmest of margins. The Aggies had the upper hand in the final round, outshooting the 49ers 307-308.
“Man, it’s tough,” said coach Anne Walker. “To come that close and come up short – it’s just really hard.… We wanted to win so bad.“
The only thing worse than finishing second in a championship event is being beat out for the title by one. The Aggies have now finished second each of their two Big West Tournament appearances.
The men’s team, too, had a second-place showing last season. Coach Cy Williams said the team wanted nothing more than to get that bad taste out of its mouth this time around.
The women will have to wait at least one more year to put their Big West blues to rest. With a pair of first-team All-Big West honorees – sophomores Chelsea Stelzmiller and Alice Kim – returning next year, though, there’s a chance that the third time could be the charm for the UC Davis women’s golf team.
Ask Adam: Men’s soccer update?
Hi Adam,
Any update on what Dylan Curtis and Sule [Anibaba] are doing with their soccer careers? I know Quincy [Amarikwa] is playing in the MLS with the [San Jose] Earthquakes. Is he off to a good start?
Thanks,
Jonathan
Hey Jonathan,
It looks like Curtis and Anibaba are heading off to the real world – for now, at least. Curtis took a job in San Francisco, and Anibaba is currently hunting for the right gig.
Anibaba said he’s not done pursuing playing professional soccer, though. He’s continuing with his training in case the right opportunity presents itself.
Amarikwa, meanwhile, started his Major League Soccer career off with a bang. He scored a goal in his first game with the Earthquakes – a 1-0 exhibition win over the Portland Timbers on Mar. 14.
The reigning Big West Conference Offensive Player of the Year, Amarikwa has seen action in three of San Jose’s five regular season contests. He’s totaled 83 minutes and has three shots (one on goal) to his credit.
Thanks for the question, Jonathan. Keep them coming.
Have a question you’d like answered in next week’s All AG-Cess? ADAM LOBERSTEIN can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.
