Turlock brings golf dynasty to Section Masters

The Turlock High Bulldogs, perennial rulers of the Central California Conference girls golf scene, have reached a level that’s even new to them.

They’ve won 13 CCC titles since 1999 – their first golf season – and the last 11 in succession. But until this year, the Bulldogs took home only one Sac-Joaquin Section Division 1 South title.

Make it two.

Turlock added another blue banner, which it will place next to its 2007 pennant, last week at Lodi’s Woodbridge Country Club. The Bulldogs will march with pride into the Section Masters Championship, the annual gathering of the section’s best teams and individual qualifiers, Monday at The Reserve at Spanos Park in Stockton.

Turlock will bring three All-CCC seniors with them – team MVP Sarah Garcia, Bergen Benedict and Michaela deBos. But the Bulldogs’ fourth All-CCC entry, junior Brooke Vierra, anchored their performance at the D-1 South with an 86.

“We had the divisional last year at Turlock and lost to Lodi. From that point, our seniors set out to win both league and the divisional,” Turlock coach Mary Krupka said. “We didn’t play our best golf at Woodbridge, but we did grind it out. They put the goal out there and attained it. The whole season they took turns being the hero.”

Joining Turlock at The Reserve is Enochs’ Alyse Padilla, who makes her second straight appearance at Masters. Padilla, who led the Eagles to their fifth Modesto Metro Conference title in the last six years, notched one of the six individual qualifying berths at Woodbridge by shooting a 90. Teammate Cambry Hastings advanced with a 97.

Also returning to Masters for the second straight year is Pitman’s Taylor Beckwith (88). Others who’ve extended their season are Lauren Coonce (87) and Netanya Hernandez (90) of Merced and Beth Summerville of Pitman (96).

Masters competitions feature the top teams and players from schools big and small, public and private. Some programs, such as Turlock, are regular entries.

New to the tournament, however, is Ceres, which claimed its first-ever league title when it topped the Western Athletic Conference. Then, it added to its resume last week with a second-place finish at the Division 4 at Ione’s Castle Oaks. That’s how the Bulldogs earned their trip to The Reserve.

Ceres, paced by two-time all-league star Erica Hogner (95) and two-time league MVP Caitlin Pfaff (97), totaled 513 strokes and trailed winner Lincoln of Lincoln by 15 strokes at Castle Oaks.

“Caitlin is all about the team. She holds this team together,” Ceres fifth-year coach Randy Cerny said. “They all have each others’ backs. They’re like a little family.”

Central Valley junior Janita Vongphoumey, a mid-season transfer from Rhode Island who became the WAC’s Golfer of the Year, also qualified for Masters with her 85.

East Union junior Brooke Riley, The Bee’s two-time Stanislaus District Golfer of the Year, joins the field but not with her young teammates.

The nine-time reigning Valley Oak League champion Lancers struggled at Manteca Park, their home course, and placed third at the D-3. Only the top two advanced, preventing EU from claiming its eighth divisional crown in nine years. Worse for them, their team won’t return to The Reserve, where they placed only a stroke behind first-place Rocklin at the 2013 Masters.

Riley, a lefty, wasn’t pleased with her 3-over-par 75 at Manteca and hopes to improve at Masters. She placed third at NorCals last year and tied for 33rd at the CIF Championship.

Oakdale sophomore Dylanie Donahue notched a Masters berth by firing a 94.

Capital Christian topped Valley Foothill League-North champion Escalon by nine strokes for the only Masters team berth at the D-5 at Micke Grove. Hilmar, the VFL-South champ, placed sixth.

But leading the way from the southern portion of the section will be Turlock and its CCC dominance.

“On Monday it will all be about relaxing and having fun,” Krupka said.

This story was originally published November 1, 2014 at 3:32 PM with the headline "Turlock brings golf dynasty to Section Masters."