(Walnut, CA) After a third place finish last year in the Orange Empire Conference (OEC), the Mt. SAC Men's Golf Team hopes to improve from the 2018 season.
The improvement will come from a whole new team. Third-year Coach Greg Osbourne has assembled a talented squad of 10 players that includes six freshmen and four sophomores.
"The 2019 season is very special because it is our third seasons since restarting the program in 2016 for the 2017 season," Osbourne a PGA Pro responded. "Historically, the third year has proven to be very pivotal because the recruiting ends up being so well.
"This year's men's golf team has all new players. The first two seasons were very productive in building a competitive program."
One player that has moved on is Dylan Stone. Stone was a two-time CCCAA State Championship Tournament participant for Mt. SAC.
"Dylan set a tremendous legacy for himself and the upcoming players," Osbourne added.
The 2019 Men's Golf Team
Joshua Song (SO) – Song is a bounce back from Calvin College (Grand Rapids, MI, NCAA Division III) and was the No. 1 golfer at Diamond Bar H.S.
"Joshua is now back to compete for the Mounties and earn a scholarship after his sophomore season has ended," Osbourne said.
Blake Copeland (FR) – Copeland, from Yorba Linda, attended Cal State University Fullerton last year and is an outstanding player and will have two years of eligibility at Mt. SAC. "Blake is an outstanding player," Osbourne said.
Julio Ibarra (FR) – Ibarra, from Glendora, is very solid in every aspect of his game. "Julio will be a stand-out golfer for the Mounties," Osbourne added.
Two new experienced overseas players from across the Pacific is Han Seop Lee (FR) from South Korea and Tsui (Felix) Chu-Wen (FR), from Taiwan. "They will contribute immensely this year and their talents are off the chart. They will not only lead, but motivate our golf team," Osbourne said.
Lee won the Inland Empire Amateur Tournament last fall, while Wen was a good amateur in Taiwan
Cameron Smith (FR), who was a red shirt last year, attended El Dorado High School and is ready to contribute to a winning season.
John Dearth (SO) is a transfer from San Diego State, where he was a scholarshiped member of the Aztec Baseball Program during his freshman year. Dearth also was part of the South Hills CIF-SS Division 2 Baseball Championship Team in 2016. "John, who has incredible golfing skills, could make a difference on our squad," Osbourne said.
Transferring in from Central California (Tehachapi H.S.) is Yeager Jarrett (SO), who will contend for a top six spot.
Ryan Rozek (SO) from Las Vegas (NV) has been a pleasant surprise and will also compete for a top six position on the team.
Rounding out this years' squad is Oscar Alegre Jr. (FR), who was the number one golfer from Canyon High School in Anaheim.
The first of six tournaments, will get the season underway on Sunday and Monday, January 27th & 28th, at the La Purisima Golf Course, in Lompoc.
Mt. SAC will host an OEC neutral match on the Royal Vista Golf Course in Walnut on Wednesday, February 20th.
The first of six conference matches will start on Wednesday, March 6th, at the Candlewood Country Course in Whittier.
Six teams make up the OEC – Cypress, Irvine Valley, Mt. SAC, Orange Coast, Riverside City and Saddleback. Orange Coast won the conference title last season.
Mt. SAC will host OEC match number 5 at the Pacific Palms Resort on Wednesday, April 10th, on the Babe Zaharias Course and will host the conference championship on the Royal Vista Golf Course on Monday, April 29th.
"As a coach for the 2019 Mt. SAC Men's Golf Team, we look forward to a successful season and hope to participate at the Silverado Country Club (Napa, CA) for the CCCAA State Championship," Osbourne said. "There is a strong possibility of achieving all of our competitive goals this season."
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For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.