April 13, 2008
UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. - Gonzaga University's men's and women's golf teams will compete in the West Coast Conference Championship Monday and Tuesday at Chambers Bay Golf Course.
This is the first time since 1991 the WCC Championship will be contested in the Pacific Northwest - 1991 at Heron Lakes Golf Course in Portland the last - and just the second time in the state of Washington, the 1980 tourney at Sahalee Country Club in Seattle the other. Chambers Bay has already been selected to host the 2015 U.S. Open and the 2010 U.S. Amateur.
The Bulldog men and women will both put relatively young squads on the course, but squads that nonetheless have WCC Championship experience.
Sophomore Brandon Crick, last year's WCC Freshman of the Year, and senior Trevor Loe tied for ninth last season in earning All-WCC accolades. Bowdy Ehler also competed in the championship last season, finishing 38th. Freshman Kyle Huus and sophomore Derek Cheney round out the lineup.
Crick is again the leader of the Bulldogs this season, averaging 72.8 strokes/round. He was probably in the hunt for the inaugural NCAA Regional berth in Bulldog history until a first-round 81 last Monday.
"Brandon had the flu the first day of last week's tournament," head coach Robert Gray said. "That 81 really hurt his chances for a regional bid. I think he was on track, and with a strong finish in the WCC Championship still has a chance."
Gray thinks his men are ready for the challenge.
"I think we're playing well right now. Loe has turned in some solid rounds and I think it depends on how the other three play. The potential is definitely there, although we have lacked some consistency this season," Gray said.
Crick has four Top 10 finishes this season, and captured medalist honors at the University of Hawai'i Shootout at Angel Park held in Las Vegas, Nev., last fall.
On the women's side, two seniors, a junior and two freshmen will try to duplicate or improve on last year's third-place WCC finish. Seniors Sarah Sheffield and Lacey Jo Manwaring have the bulk of the experience for the Bulldogs, Sheffield 17th last season and Manwaring tied for 24th. Junior Elizabeth Jarrett placed 20th last year. Sheffield paces the club with an 80.3 strokes/round average.
Freshmen Rachel Sibbitt and Sage Suffecool have had outstanding rookie seasons for the Bulldogs and each is averaging 80.6 strokes/round.
"We're playing some of our best golf of the season right now," first-year head coach Brad Rickel said. "Rachel and Sage have played very well for freshmen and we have the experience of Sarah, Lacey Jo and Elizabeth. I think we're peaking at the right time."
Suffecool won the UC Santa Cruz title this spring.
Pepperdine University is the defending champion for both the men and women. The Waves have won six straight women's titles and nine of the 11 previous tournaments since the women's championship was started. On the men's side Pepperdine has won 12 of the last 14 crowns.
