Canyons Cards Another Victory as Kitabatake, Allard, Downing and Lieberman all Top Eight

By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director  

ENCINO — College of the Canyons won a sixth straight conference tournament at Encino Golf Course on Monday, with sophomore Sahya Kitabatake taking medalist honors as the Cougars' four scoring players all finished top eight in the field.

Kitabatake carded a three-over-par round of 75 to outlast runner-up Aidie Smith (76) of Santa Barbara City College. Kitabatake remains undefeated on the season having medaled in each of the first six Western State Conference (WSC) tourneys.

Sofia Allard shot a season-best score of 82 to place fifth in the field of 32 individuals. Allard has now placed in the top eight at the last three tournaments.

Alex Downing was just three strokes behind her teammate, finishing the day at 85 in sixth place to also remain hot. Downing joins Allard as having placed top eight in three consecutive events.

Baily Fara Lieberman tied for eighth in the field with a score of 89. That score represented her low round and best placement thus far this season.

Those performances allowed Canyons to turn in a team score of 331. That placed the Cougars 24 strokes ahead of runner-up Allan Hancock (355) with Santa Barbara City (356), Moorpark College (372), Bakersfield Colleg3 (380) and Antelope Valley College (438) rounding out the team standings. Citrus also competed but only entered three players.

Zoe Keigley placed 20th in the field at 99, while Valerie Sherman was 22nd with a score of 108. Both had their scores scratched from the final COC team tally.

Canyons (36-0) will compete at the WSC event hosted by Bakersfield College on Monday, Oct. 20. Tee time is scheduled for 11 a.m. from Rio Bravo Country Club.

TEAM SCORES
1. Canyons (331) 2. Allan Hancock (355) 3. Santa Barbara (356) 4. Moorpark (372) 5. Bakersfield (380) 6. Antelope Valley (438) 7. Citrus (NS) 

CANYONS INDIVIDUAL SCORES
Sahya Kitabatake (75-medalist); Sofia Allard (82-5th); Alex Downing (85-6th); Baily Fara Lieberman (89-T8th); Zoe Keigley (99-20th); Valerie Sherman (108-22nd)

FIELD INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS
1 - 75 – Sahya Kitabatake (COC)
2 - 76 – Aidie Smith (SBCC)
T3 - 78 – Zan McGovern AHC); Kalia Aparicio (MC)
5 - 82 – Sofia Allard (COC)
6 - 85 – Alex Downing (COC)
7 - 87 – Elizabeth Alderete (BC)
T8 - 89 – Baily Fara Lieberman (COC); Ali Muncy (MC)
T10 - 92 – Ally Price (AHC); Kaitlin Acosta (AHC); Camryn Chapman (SBCC); Mylee Gonzalez (SBCC)
T14 - 93 – Brooke Mondano (AHC); Ivana Escobar (BC)
16 - 95 – Savannah Fryhoff (MC)
17 - 96 – Azul Calzaillas (SBCC)
T18 - 97 – Riley Bloxom (BC); Hayden Hazard (AVC)
20 - 99 – Zoe Keigley (COC)
21 - 103 – Hailey Berryhill (AHC)
22 - 108 – Valerie Sherman (COC)
T23 - 109 – Grace Gelfound (AVC); Joelle Hanon (AVC)
25 - 110 – Ricille Casino (MC)
26 - 119 – Lusha De (CIT)
27 - 123 – Alayna Hottya (AVC
28 - 125 – Liliana Morency (MC)
29 - 126 – Chelcie Small (MC)
30 - 127 – Alyssa Lara (AVC)
31 - 129 – Chloe Kouyoumdijian (CIT)
32 - 130 – Nicole Lowenstein (CIT)

Stay up to date on all this season's action by following the College of the Canyons Athletic department on social media at @COCathletics on X, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. 

—Photo by Mari Kneisel/COC Sports Information