Cypress earns first Orange Empire Conference men's golf title in 43 years

OEC Championship Tournament Results

Final OEC Season Results

WALNUT - The Cypress College men's golf team claimed the Orange Empire Conference title this week on the Royal Vista Golf Club course on a dark and drizzly Monday.  But it would be all sunshine and smiles for the Chargers at the end of the one-day, 36-hole championship event as they captured their first conference golf title since 1976.

Cypress and Orange Coast would be tied for the conference lead heading into the championship event.  Host Mt. San Antonio would win the morning round with a team score of 362 while Orange Coast (365) edged Cypress (366) by one stroke with Saddleback (369) trying to get a hand in the mix.  That gave Orange Coast a one-point advantage over Cypress and two points over Mt. San Antonio heading into the afternoon round.  Han Lee of Mt. San Antonio and Myoung Kim of Orange Coast both shot 5-under-par 66's to light up the leaderboard in the morning with Cypress' Jay Chang and Saddleback's Chase Bosanko posting 3-under 68's.  Bosanko's round was assisted by a hole in one on the 140-yard, par 3 sixth hole.

Scores were close in the afternoon round as Mt. San Antonio received a 68 from Josh Song, a 69 from Blake Copeland, and an even-par 71 from Felix Tsui as the Mounties posted a team score of even-par 355.  Orange Coast would receive a 1-under effort from Bryce Sheridan (70) while Devin Keith and Kim each posted 71's to give the Pirates a team score of 359.  Cypress saw Matt Wotherspoon fire a 2-under 69 while Tommy Chung was 1-under at 70 and Dalton Davenport posted an even-par 71.  The crowd was waiting for David Marris to finish and Marris, whose 76 in the morning round wasn't even part of the team scoring, beamed as his 5-under-par 66 was posted to give Cypress a 4-under-par team score of 351.  The Chargers would win the afternoon round and, with Mt. San Antonio finishing second and Orange Coast slipping to third, would earn two more points than the Pirates in the conference standings and slip into the top spot.

For his efforts, Marris was named the Orange Empire Conference Player of the Year with the lowest season scoring average (71.9) while Orange Coast's Connor O'Hern (72.7), Kim (72.8) and Saddleback's Bosanko (72.9) were each just one stroke apart.

Cypress, the defending state champion after finishing as the conference runners-up last season, will advance to the CCCAA South Regional men's golf championship which will be held on Monday, May 6, at the Los Serranos Country Club in Chino Hills.  The Chargers will be joined by Orange Coast and Mt. San Antonio in the team competition.  Saddleback's Bosanko had the best scoring average of all players not on a qualifying team and will represent the conference in the individual competition.  Irvine Valley's Troy Nueva posted a championship score of 146 (74-72) and had the lowest championship score of all players not already qualified for the regional on a team or as an individual and earned the final spot from the conference into the regional.  Laser teammate Dustin Vasquez (71-76) posted a 147 and was one shot behind Nueva.

OEC Coach of the Year - Dana Bedard, Cypress
OEC Player of the Year - David Marris, Cypress

All-Conference Awards
David Marris, Cypress
Connor O'Hern, Orange Coast
Myoung Kim, Orange Coast
Chase Bosanko, Saddleback
Han Lee, Mt. San Antonio
Felix Tsui, Mt. San Antonio
Bryce Sheridan, Orange Coast
Blake Copeland, Mt. San Antonio
Josh Song, Mt. San Antonio
Cole Griffo, Saddleback