Cougars Win Second Straight Conference Tourney, Remain Undefeated
By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director
SANTA MARIA — College of the Canyons won its second straight Western State Conference (WSC) event on Monday, posting a 10-stroke advantage over runner-up Santa Barbara City College to remain undefeated on the season.
Canyons (38-0) carded a five-player score of 372 to finish ahead of SBCC (382), Ventura College (383) and Glendale (384) in a tight finish. Bakersfield College (397), Citrus College (406), Antelope Valley College (413) and Allan Hancock College (478) rounded out the eight-team field.
Hugo Boyer earned medalist honors with his four-under-par round of 68. That score placed him just ahead of Hank Norman (69) from Glendale in the individual standings.
COC freshman Ethan Posthumus shot an even 72 to finish third overall while freshman Alexis Benchelef tied with four others for eighth in the field of 47.
Owen Crockett's round of 77 placed him in tie for 13th place while Paul Grimonpon's tally of 79 slotted into a tie for 21st and represented the final scoring player for Canyons.
Hannes Yngve carded a round of 81 to finish in a tie for 26th but did not count toward the COC team score.
Canyons will now play in back-to-back 'preview' rounds before returning to conference play on March 25.
Up first, the 3C2A Southern California Preview will be played at Rio Bravo Country Club on Monday, March 11 in Bakersfield.
That tourney will be followed by the 3C2A State Preview at Sandpiper Gold Course in Goleta Monday, March 18.
The following week WSC action resumes at Oakmont Country Club in the conference event hosted by Glendale.
TEAM SCORES
1. Canyons (372) 2. SBCC (382) 3. Ventura (383) 4. Glendale (384) 5. Bakersfield (397) 6. Citrus (406) 7. Antelope Valley (413) 8. Allan Hancock (478)
CANYONS INDIVIDUAL SCORES
Hugo Boyer (68 - medalist); Ethan Posthumus (72 – 3rd); Alexis Benchelef (69 –T8th); Owen Crockett (77 - T13th); Paul Grimonpon (79-T21st); Hannes Yngve (81-T26th);
Field Individual Top-40
1. 68 – Hugo Boyer (COC)
2. 69 – Hank Norman (GCC)
3. 72 – Ethan Posthumus (COC)
4. 73 – Logan Gonzalez (VC)
5. 74 – Paddy Blindeman (SBCC)
T6. 75 – AJ Ryland (VC); Colin McGeary (GCC)
T8. 76 – Alexis Benchelef (COC); Eric Means (SBCC); Kabir Chadha (CIT); Connor Jazwiecki (AVC); Nick Gutierrez (GCC)
T13. 77 – Owen Crockett (COC); Jacob Aaron (SBCC); Vicente Rodriguez (SBCC); Blaize Rader (BC); Ian Chapital (VC); Logan Cook (VC)
T19. 78 – JT Kelleher (SBCC); Tanner Klundt (AVC)
T21. 79 – Paul Grimonpon (COC); Octavio Romero (BC); Augustus Page (BC)
T24. 80 – Lorenzo Herrera (CIT); Isaac Wells (BC)
T26. 81 – Hannes Yngve (COC); Daniel Darwin (VC); Dylan Vallejo (GCC)
T29. 82 – Chris Ruiz (CIT); Grant Harrer (BC); Shawn Petty (BC); Hunter McCoy (VC); Ethan Philips (AVC)
T34. 83 – Ashtin Mount (CIT): Johnathan Riley (AHC); Ikki Amano (GCC); Andrew Shaklan (GCC)
38. 85 – Carter Gauthier (CIT)
39. 86 – Daichi Nishisu (CIT)
40. 87 – Drew DeGeorge (AVC)
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.