Down 19 strokes? How MJC women’s golf came back to win its 2nd straight state title
The Modesto Junior College women’s golf team needed to mount an epic comeback if it wanted to capture a state title.
Down by 19 strokes and sitting in fifth place after the first day, four of the Pirates’ top golfers shot a 79, lifting them to first place on Monday, Nov. 14, at Morro Bay Golf Course.
It is the Pirates’ second straight state title, they won last year at Cypress Ridge at Arroyo Grande, and third since 2017.
MJC returned the majority of its best players from last year’s state championship team while adding a number of key newcomers that helped round out the roster.
“Last year, we had a smaller group of girls and during the season, there wasn’t a lot of competition,” coach Milan Motroni said. “This year, I guess because of how well we did, we added some more girls to the team who were pretty talented. So besides my top three who were pretty solid all this year, we had a lot of competition in terms of playing time and making the travel team this year.”
MJC went into the second day needing at least four of its top six golfers to shoot a 79 or better to pull off what seemed impossible. Shealyn Hanrahan, Makenna Ebster, Mikaella Manto and Olivia Machado all played the day of their lives, each scoring 79s to lead the team from down 19 to up by two strokes by the end of the state tournament.
“We didn’t want to put any pressure on them, we just said you’re gonna play better the second day, just play how you’ve been playing all season long. And then the second day all of a sudden my first two came in the 70s and then my number four came in the 70s and I was like, ‘Oh, my God, we have a shot.’” Motroni recalled.
It came down to the number six player. Machado needed to par or bogey the final hole in order to secure the victory.
“My assistant coach messaged me and she said, ‘Get the girls out to the 18 pole because your number six is coming in and if she scores well, we have a solid chance to win,’” Motroni said. The girls suddenly got all excited and they ran out there and watched her put it in and cheered. By that time, we knew it was pretty much solidified that we had won the championship.”
The Pirates have had to mount second-day comebacks in all three of their state title wins. In 2017, they trailed by 11 strokes and last year they went into the second day down four. A single-digit deficit can be easily overcome.
“Once you start getting into double digits when you’re down … you need all your girls to score well.” Motroni said.
According to the CCCAA women’s golf archives, MJC is the first team from the north to win back-to-back titles.
“If you look at the records and archives, the South has been pretty dominant at the state championships over the years,” Motroni said. “... the last maybe seven or eight years, some of the North teams have been coming back and three of them have been Modesto. It’s really showing that even though we’re not as densely populated … we have a lot of talent in this area. And it’s nice to get this talent at the community college level and show that these girls can move on to the next level as well. So it really says something for the Central Valley area that there’s a lot of talent in this area in terms of golf.”
In addition to being two-time state champions, Ebster, Jenea Caparros and Hanrahan earned All-Conference honors and are talking with four-year schools in California, Arizona and Hawaii, according to Motroni.
The team will return four players next year, as Motroni and her staff continue to build on the success from recent years.
“It’s gonna be a brand new looking team, but my goal is to remain competitive and you never know what may happen.” she said.
MJC football season ends in state regionals: The MJC football team defied the odds in reaching the state playoffs but were unable to advance to the NorCal championship, falling to San Mateo, 30-0, in the CCCAA Northern Region Championship Semifinals on Saturday. After trailing by 10 points at halftime, the Pirates allowed 20 second-half points. Quarterback Keith Orona (Enochs) passed for 39 yards and one interception and combined with quarterback Cruz Marines (Gregori) and running back Aiden Taylor (Central Catholic) for 72 rushing yards. They had four tackles for loss defensively and wide receiver-turned defensive back Jalon Jackson (Buhach Colony) forced a fumble that was recovered by linebacker Payton Bradford (Oakdale)
Pitman baseball players sign: Pitman is sending at least two senior baseball players to the next level. Hunter Arellano and Andrew Balentine signed on Thursday, Nov. 17, to continue playing at York University and Fresno State University, respectively. A pitcher and first baseman, Balentine is the team’s top returner after posting team highs in batting average (.439) and hits (36), helping lead the Pride to a 12-3 Central California Athletic League, tied with Turlock, and a 21-6-1 overall record. On the mound, he had a 6-0 record. Arellano appeared in six games last season. The catcher signed with the NAIA school in St. York, Nebraska.
Stan State Cross Country season continues: Stanislaus State will send its nationally ranked cross country team to the NCAA Division II Women’s Cross Country Championship on Friday at Chambers Creek Regional Park in University Place, Wash.. The Warriors go into the weekend ranked seventh nationally after winning the Division II West Regional Title Nov. 19 and their second consecutive CCAA title. Kaela Dishion, Najwa Chouati, Kayden Legan and Yahaira Zuniga earned All-West Region honors by placing in the top 25 at regionals. Heading into Friday, the Warriors have been ranked in the top 15 nationally for the eighth straight week.
Modesto basketball tournament happening this week: The Modesto City Classic basketball tournament kicks off Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. Games will be played at Johansen and Beyer high schools starting Nov. 30 and ending Saturday, Dec. 3, with the championship game Saturday at 6 p.m. Beyer, last season’s champion, kicks off the tournament Wednesday at 6 p.m. against Modesto. Here’s the schedule:
Beyer High School
Wednesday
4:30 p.m. - Merced vs Gregori
6 p.m. - Modesto vs Beyer
7:30 p.m. - Roosevelt vs East Union
Thursday
4:30 p.m. - Gregori vs Roosevelt
6 p.m. - Beyer vs East Union
7:30 p.m. - Merced vs Modesto
Friday
4:30 p.m. - Modesto vs East Union
6 p.m. - Gregori vs Beyer
7:30 p.m. - Roosevelt vs Merced
Saturday
6 p.m. - 3rd place game
7:30 p.m. - CHAMPIONSHIP
Johansen High School
Wednesday
4:30 p.m. - Davis vs Enochs
6 p.m. - Downey vs McNair
7:30 p.m. - Kimball vs Pitman
Thursday
4:30 p.m. - Johansen vs Downey
6 p.m. - Enochs vs Kimball
7:30 p.m. - McNair vs Pitman
Friday
4:30 p.m. - Davis vs McNair
6 p.m. - Kimball vs Downey
7:30 p.m. - Pitman vs Johansen
Holiday Hoops brackets announced: The Modesto Christian basketball team on Nov. 28 announced the brackets and opening day schedule for its annual Holiday Hoop Classic. The tournament will feature Downey, Ripon Christian, Turlock, Weston Ranch, Modesto Christian, Gregori and other teams from out of the area on Dec. 27-30.
This story was originally published November 30, 2022 at 3:14 PM.
