By John M. Sherrard
(ROWLAND HEIGHTS) With only one golf match remaining in the Orange Empire Conference, Mt. SAC sophomore Tiffany Lin made a push to make the top ten post season individual qualifiers with a score of 83 at Royal Vista Golf Course Monday.
Royal Vista is the Mounties' home course.
Lin, who finished tied with two other competitors for third on Monday, jumped from sixteenth to number 11 with the last conference match this Wednesday at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo.
However, besides Lin, Danielle Nhem, Janet Romero, Kendall Montero and Brianna Pulido all have a chance to still make it into the top ten positions with good performances at the last match on Wednesday.
Following the final match on Wednesday, all five teams will compete in a two-day conference tournament next week.
In team competition, Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College moved into a two-way tie for first in the OEC, while Mt. SAC remains in third.
The Mounties are the defending conference champions, accomplished last year under first-year coach Greg Osbourne.
"Everybody wants to beat you as a defending champion," said Osbourne, who doesn't have three of his freshmen from last year on the team.
Orange Coast College remains in fourth, followed by Fullerton College.
Lin is the only sophomore on the team and is a captain and was hoping for the team to do well Monday to remain in contention for a post-season berth.
"I just really wanted to win (Monday) and defend our league title," Lin said. "Why not do it here on our home course."
Mt. SAC finished in fifth on Monday, ending any hope for a repeat title and a berth in the So Cal Regionals next month.
"The worse part of it (being eliminated) was we came off of a really good win and were on a tremendous high," said Osbourne of last weeks' first place finish at Oak Creek.
A big part of that win was Romero with an 83, her best by far this year.
"It was challenging for me," said Romero of the Oak Creek course. "But I was hitting pretty long that day so I took advantage of the shots.
Romero didn't fare as well on Monday and added, "…..we weren't expecting to come in the place that we did (Monday)."
Lin, who will transfer to Cal Poly Pomona next year, was a member of the 2015 championship team.
"That (championship) was phenomenal," Lin added. "We played our hearts out as a team."
Also a major part of the '15 team is current assistant to Osbourne, Sarah Juelch, who was a 1st Team All-So Cal Region player and has been a valuable member this season as a coach.
"Last year we did a lot together, which is huge for a team," said Juelch, who was also low medalist a couple of times in that championship season.
"This year the team togetherness and camaraderie is great. We are planning a couple of events as a team away from golfing."