LODI SWIMS TO TCAL TITLE
Flames’ Gums earns low medalist; Tokay’s Robles also advances to D1 South
Lodi High’s boys golf squad completed its run to a Tri-City Athletic League championship on Monday, winning the TCAL Tournament with a team score of 393.
Justin Gums was the low medalist in the tournament with a 4-under 67 on the par-71 Elkhorn Country Club course, with the next golfer coming in at 75.
Lodi and Lincoln qualified as a team for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I South Tournament, which is next Monday back at Elkhorn.
“For my team at least, 393 is a very good score,” Lodi coach Jim Staal said. “We just can’t quite get everybody playing well on the same day. Even the last few matches of the year, we’d have one of the top players play an unusually high round. We’re hoping the day comes where we all play well on the same day.”
Tyler Rowlands carded a 76 for the Flames, followed by Evan Seibly with an 80, Dean Ky with an 82 and Trevor Topham with an 87.
Tokay freshman Cameron Robles shot an 85 to qualify for the Division I South tournament individually. Teammate Brett Benzler fell just shy of qualifying with an 88.
“He’s real excited. It’s good for a freshman to do that,” Tokay coach Chris Zermeno said. “He’s definitely our up-and-coming guy. He’s a golfer, he practices a lot. It wasn’t a surprise that he made it.”
The tournament, which is treated as five matches in the league standings, left the Flames with a 14-1 record for the TCAL title. St. Mary’s placed second with a 401, and Lincoln was third with a 424, but because Lincoln came into the day with one more win than the Rams, the two teams finished with 11-4 records.
Since the TCAL sends two teams to the DI South Tournament, Lincoln and St. Mary’s had a playoff on the 17th hole after the tournament was over, with all six golfers from each team playing the hole.
While St. Mary’s played better during the day, Lincoln prevailed on the playoff hole, with a 20 to the Rams’ 25 after the high score for each team was dropped.
The Division I South tournament includes teams from the TCAL, the Modesto Metro Conference, the San Joaquin Athletic Association and the Central California Conference. Bear Creek won the SJAA Tournament on Monday, also at Elkhorn, with a 470, with McNair also advancing with a 492.
“I’m not overly familiar with the teams south of us. Last year we finished second to Gregori at Divisions, we beat them earlier this year and I don’t think they’re as strong,” Staal said. “So I think us and Lincoln may be fighting it out for the title.”