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Panthers’ golf team wins state championship

December 7, 2009
by Crystal Anderson | Staff Writer

The women’s golf team, led by coach Tim Kiernan, pose for a photo after being crowned state champions. Photo courtesy of the City College Athletics Department.

City College’s 2009 women’s golf team won the college’s first golf state championship Nov. 18 at Kings Country Club in Hanford, Calif.

Led by coach Tim Kiernan for the last nine years, the Panthers won the Community College Athletic Association’s Women Golf’s Championship against Bakersfield, Palomar, and Cañada community colleges, all Southern California teams.

“We set goals at the beginning of the year,” Kiernan said, “to win the conference, to win NorCal and to win state. And we accomplished all those.”

The Panthers started the second day of the two-day championship match, trailing Bakersfield College by nine strokes. However, by the end of the second day, they pulled ahead by five and clinched the championship.

Golf team members Kayla Riede and Erika Salinas both were awarded medals for their performance. Riede, who set a new record earlier this season for best individual score, placed second in the top 12 individual scores, Salinas placed fourth.

“It’s really cool because we got second last year,” says City College golfer Kristin Madsen, “and we were really close. It’s cool to be on the team to win it and go out with a bang.”The Panthers have been nearly flawless this season, wracking up 84 match wins. The team’s only loss was at the hands of Sierra College, Sept. 24, during a Big 8 Tournament match.

Kiernan said he felt great being able to coach the team to its first state championship and to be the first coach at City College to win state championships in two different sports. This is Kiernan’s fourth state championship win at City College: three in softball and now one in golf.

Though the Panthers women’s golf team has been active in the state championship since 1995, it wasn’t until this year that the Panthers were able to clench its first state championship in golf. It was also the first time a Northern California team has won a women’s golf state championship.

SCCgolfchamps by TMVenesio