Oregon Tech Golf Preview, Women Ranked 2nd Men 3rd in CCC Coaches’ Poll
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KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – After the most successful combined season in Oregon Tech Golf history, the 2018-19 men's and women's teams face a tough road to return to the NAIA National Tournament with the addition of perennial power British Columbia to the Cascade Conference.
In the women's poll, UBC earned five first place votes and 33 points. Defending champion Oregon Tech is in the second spot with 31 points. The Lady Owls also picked up one first-place vote while Corban claimed 25 points and the third place slot.
On the men's side, UBC received all eight first-place votes. The Thunderbirds tallied 64 points in the poll while Corban (52) and Oregon Tech (50) came in at second and third respectively.
The OIT women's team will miss now graduated 3-time conference "Player of the Year" Janelle Ferlan. "You just don't replace a player of Janelle's caliber," said sixth year Head Coach Jeff Corkill.
The Tech women enter the new season ranked in 2nd to UBC. However, with the addition of five quality freshmen: Grace Hull, Payton Canon, Ashley Zhu, Aerin Songand Kirsten Reed the Owls reload with arguably a team that will have better depth and a stronger completive line-up team then last year's CCC Champions.
"We have 4 of our 5 returners from last year's championship team and a strong crop of new players that will fit into the line-up. This will make us a stronger team that should contend for a repeat of what was accomplished last year," Corkill added. "It will be very competitive week in and week out to make the travel team. This is the most deeply talented team I have had," said Coach Corkill.
The men's team returns after a very successful 2017-18 season that saw the team compete at the NAIA National Championship at TPC Deere Run in Silvas, IL. The Owl men were co-conference regular season champs and won the CCC Tournament Championships. This marked the second time in the program's young history that the Owls have accomplished the task.
The Owl men return several key players off the 2018 team and will make a run at the post season. Returning this year are Tyler Franke, Kyle Wolf and the CCC Individual Champion Mayson Tibbs. "These three players plus the addition of several new players in the program should allow us to reload," said Corkill, who also added, "I feel freshman recruit Alejandro Armijo from New Mexico can fill the void of departing players Houston Knox and Nate Hunter who graduated. I feel as though we will compete in the top of the CCC and I know the players want to get back to the national championship stage," said Corkill.
The Owls begin the fall season and CCC play on September 10 and 11 on the road at the CCC opener at difficult Emerald Valley GC in Creswell, Oregon. Both teams will then travel to Caldwell, Idaho for the second CCC Fall Tournament at Timberstone GC before returning home to host the Oregon Tech Fall Invite at the Running Y Resort October 8 and 9.