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By MYLO ERICKSON

After closing out the final regular season tournament, one of the three women who play golf for Pima Community College will head to nationals.

Freshman Abriana Romero was one of 20 individual players selected to compete in Daytona Beach, Fla., on May 14-17.

“Obviously it’s an honor to go and I’m both excited and nervous,” Romero said. “I’m excited about the experience, but I’m nervous about the level of difficulty.”

Romero was also named to the All-ACCAC second team.

At nationals, Romero will play on the LPGA International Legends Golf Course.

“The only thing new for her may be an alligator or two,” head coach Bill Nicol said.

The LPGA course is a bit longer than some courses that PCC played on during the season, Nicol said. About 160 women of varying skill levels from across the country will compete.

Nicol and Romero’s mother will be in Daytona to support Romero during the four-day tournament.

She will also receive support from her teammates, sophomore Alondra Olivas and freshman Shelby Empens. They asked her to text her results after each day so they can talk to her about it.

Romero had the best finish for the Aztecs in the final season tournament played at Hillcrest Golf Course in Phoenix. The tournament was hosted by Scottsdale Community College.

The eight-team women’s golf conference doesn’t hold regional playoffs.

Both Romero and Empens will return to the team next season, Nicol said. Olivas has used her two-year eligibility.

Nicol hopes more women will join the team, but said he’ll have to wait and see.

He was upset to lose players at the beginning of the current season, but said the remaining players dealt with it and moved on.

“The ones that stayed learned some things and had a good time,” he said.

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By MYLO ERICKSON

The Pima Community College men’s golf team had its best performance this season at the Region 1 tournament at the Sidewinder Golf Course in Gold Canyon, Ariz., where they took second place.

With the second place victory Pima qualified for the NJCAA national tournament, which will be played in Newton, Kan., at the Sand Creek Station Golf Course on May 12-19.

Pima had another reason to celebrate, as freshman Joseph Courtney took first place overall as an individual.

“I put a lot of work in on my golf game and it paid off,” Courtney said. “I was just elated to come away with the win.”

The Aztecs started the regional tournament on April 26 in second place. They shot 310 as a team, which was 24 strokes behind first place.

Courtney finished his first day shooting two over par with a 73, which was good enough to tie him for third. First place was at 69.

Sophomore Adam Ortiz finished off the first day shooting six over par with a 77.

On the second day of the tournament, Pima stayed in second place while shooting a team score of 301.

The Aztecs shot a two-day total of 611, 36 strokes behind first place. The Aztecs were ahead of third-place Eastern Arizona College by eight strokes.

Courtney shot a three under par with a 68, which was enough for him to take sole possession of second place. He trailed first place by two strokes.

He was then one under par for the tournament with a two day total of 141.

On the third day of the tournament, the Aztecs were able to hold on to second place for the tournament.

Pima shot 303 as a team for the third day and were nine strokes ahead of third-place Eastern. Pima was 48 strokes behind first-place Scottsdale Community College.

Courtney took the lead for individuals on the third day after shooting an even par with a 71. He led the second-place individual by two strokes.

He had a three-day total of 212 at that point.

Pima had its best day on the fourth day of the tournament, shooting a team total of 299 for the day, giving them a four day total of 1,213 as a team.

Courtney locked up first place individually when he birdied both the 17th and 18th holes to finish off the final day one over par with a 72.

That put him at even par for the four-day tournament with a total of 284.

“He finally put it all together,” head coach Grant Waltke said.

The Aztecs also received a great day from freshman Austin Stuessel, who also shot a one over par with a 72.

Pima will now continue its season in the NJCAA national tournament on May 12-19.

Courtney, Ortiz, Stuessel, and freshmen Landyn Lewis and Jonathan Chong Jr. will attend.

“The guys are anxious to get to nationals, to see what they can do,” Waltke said.

He hopes they finish in the top 10.

The Pima Community College women’s golf played in its sixth tournament of the year on April 9-10, yet again without enough players to establish a team score.

They played at the par-72 Dobson Ranch Golf Course in Mesa in a tournament hosted by Mesa Community College.

Freshman Abriana Romero had the best first-day score for Pima, shooting a 98. Sophomore Alondra Olivas finished the day with a 99.

Freshman Shelby Empens shot 100. She cut 12 strokes from her score on the back nine.

The women improved their second-day stroke totals.

Olivas shot an 89, with a season-best 39 on the back nine.

“I was super excited for her,” head coach Bill Nicol said.

Romero shot a 91 and Empens finished with a 92.

Romero, who has the highest stroke average for the Pima women, still has a chance to advance to nationals by claiming the conference’s fifth individual spot.

Pima will play in its seventh and final tournament of the year on April 23-24. Scottsdale Community College will host the tournament at Hillcrest Golf Course in Sun City West.

Nicol has never been to this course, but noticed lots of water hazards after an online check.

“It’s kind of like playing a desert course, but you can’t get your ball back,” he said.

Nicol has enjoyed working with his players this season, and said the women often receive compliments.

“One person told me that they’re the three nicest people in the league,” Nicol said. “That’s always great to hear.”

On Deck:

April 23-24: @ Scottsdale Community College, Sun City West, Hillcrest Golf Course, 11 a.m.

Photo by Mylo Erickson

The Pima Community College men’s golf team finished its final tournament of the season with a two-day total of 619, which was good enough for sixth place.

Mesa Community College hosted the tournament at Longbow Golf Course in Mesa.

On the first day of the tournament, Pima ended in sixth place with a total of 309.

The team was two strokes behind fifth-place Paradise Valley Community College and seven strokes behind fourth-place Mesa.

Sophomore Adam Ortiz had the best score the Aztecs on the first day, shooting one over par with a 72, which was good enough to tie for second place individually.

On the first day, five players were tied for the lead with 71. Six players were tied for second with 72.

The next best for the Aztecs was freshman Landyn Lewis, who shot six over par with a 77 for his first-day score.

On the second day of the tournament, Pima finished with a total of 308. That was one stroke better than its first day.

Lewis had the best second-day score for the Aztecs, shooting three over par with a 74. He ended with a two day total of 151.

Ortiz shot four over par with a 75 for the second day. He ended with the best overall score for Pima with a two-day total of 147.

No Pima player managed to crack the top 10 individually.

The tournament finished off the regular season tournaments for Pima.

The Aztecs will be heading to Sidewinder Golf Course in Gold Canyon, Ariz., on April 26-29 to compete in the NJCAA Region 1 tournament.

Women’s golf hosts tournament

The Pima Community College women’s golf team hosted the fifth tournament of the season at Silverbell Golf Course on March 26-27.
Once again the Aztecs were unable to qualify for a team score as they do not have enough players to do so.
None of the girls was able to crack the top 10 for individuals, either. However, they all did improve on their first day scores by at least one stroke.
Freshman Shelby Empens had the best first day for the Aztecs, shooting 45 on the first nine and then shooting a 47 on the back half, for a total of 92.
Next best for Pima was freshman Abriana Romero, who shot 47 on the first nine and 46 on the back portion, for a total of 93 on the day.
Romero played with a stiff neck.
She had hurt her neck over the previous weekend.
“The first day was pretty rough,” Romero said, “I just got back from an injury; I strained a muscle in my neck, so I was on a lot medication and felt really stiff.”
Sophomore Alondra Olivas managed a 48 on the first half of the course, but ended up struggling on the second half, taking 62 strokes.
That left her first day score at 110.
With the second day of the tournament reaching temperatures of about 82 degrees during the day, the Aztecs improved on their games.
The occasional breeze would blow by. However the nice, cool breeze was immediately followed by the stench of sewage and nasty pond water.
Romero led the charge by shooting 46 on the front half and shooting a 42 on the back nine, for a total of 88. Improving upon her first day total by five stokes.
Empens also improved by taking 48 strokes to complete the first nine and then taking 43 on the back nine, for a total of 91. That improved on her first day by one stroke.
“I did a lot better than I’ve been doing in a lot of the tournaments, which I was really excited about,” Empens said. “I didn’t get as nervous for this one.”
Olivas also improved on her first day total by five strokes. She shot a 53 on the first half of the course and then a 52 on the second, leaving her score at 105.
“I had quite a few three putts, which is not normal — that shouldn’t be happening,” Olivas said. “You drive for show and putt for dough.”
It was a nice change of pace for the Aztecs, as they did not have to travel back home from Phoenix after this tournament.
By the end of the year, they will have traveled out of town for six of the seven tournaments.
“We just saved a three-hour drive home tonight, so I like that,” head coach Bill Nicol said.
Romero has a shot at making it to nationals this year, as there are 20 players taken. Those 20 are made up of three teams that take five players and then five individuals who have the best accumulated scores.
As of right now, Romero is sitting in that fifth player spot.
Nicol and the women plan to continue working on their game, as they will be back practicing at Randolph Golf Course.
The golf courses in the Phoenix area tend to play a little more like Randolph, Nicol said.
Pima will be heading back out of town on April 9-10 when it plays at Dobson Ranch Golf Course in Mesa.

Men’s golf places eighth

The Pima Community College men’s golf team took eighth place in a tournament at Mount Graham Golf Course in Safford, on April 2 and 3.
The tournament was hosted by Eastern Arizona College.
Pima had a team total of 618 with one player collecting a medal.
Sophomore Adam Ortiz took sixth place at the tournament, shooting a 76 on the first day and shooting an even par of 72 on the second day, giving him a total of 148.
The Aztecs collected their first medal of the season at the tournament played at Phoenix’s Ahwatukee Country Club.
The tournament was hosted by GateWay Community College.
The Aztecs finished the two-day tournament in fifth place overall with two players finishing in the top 10.
Freshman Joseph Courtney finished with the best score for Pima. He shot three-over par on the first day with a 74.
On the second day of the tournament, Courtney shot one-under par with a 71. With those scores he finished in fourth place individually, collecting the first medal for Pima this season.
Only the top six individuals get medals.
Courtney has been working hard on improving his game, head coach Grant Waltke said. Courtney has been steadily lowering his scores this season.
Freshman Jonathon Chong Jr. was the next best for Pima, finishing in 10th place overall.
On the first day of the tournament Chong shot five-over par with a 77 and then improved it by six strokes to also shoot one-under par with a 71.
Freshman Austin Stuessel finished off his first day six-over par with a 78 and on the second day he improved on his first day score by shooting three-over par with a 75.
Freshman Landyn Lewis shot 16-over par on the first day with an 88. On the second day he improved his score by nine strokes, shooting a 79.
According to Waltke, Pima may have an opportunity to make nationals if they are able to outscore Eastern Arizona College in the next couple of tournaments. If the Aztecs are unable to accomplish this goal, then they would have to win the regional tournament to make it.
“We can do it,” Waltke said about making it to nationals.
The Aztecs will be hitting the greens again on April 15-16 in Mesa at Longbow Golf Country Club. The tournament is hosted by Mesa Community College.
Waltke believes he has his six players set up for the next tournament. The five definite players are Courtney, Chong, Stuessel, sophomore Adam Ortiz and freshman Steven Ortiz.

The Pima Community College men’s golf team earned sixth place at a March 12-13 tournament hosted by Chandler-Gilbert Community College at Toka Sticks Golf Course in Phoenix.

After playing qualifying rounds to grab one of six available spots, sophomore Adam Ortiz and freshmen Steven Ortiz, Joseph Courtney, Jonathon Chong Jr., Austin Stuessel and Landyn Lewis represented Pima in the 10-team tournament.

Steven Ortiz and Courtney finished individually in the top 10.

A two-day score of 148 earned Steven Ortiz a sixth place individual finish. Courtney shot 149 for a 10^th place finish.

Both Ortiz brothers were in the top 10 after the first day, with Steven Ortiz shooting three over par at 73 and Adam Ortiz shooting 74.

On the second day, Adam Ortiz used 10 strokes to complete the ninth hole. He also broke an ACCAC rule, and is suspended for the next tournament.

Head coach Grant Waltke said the tournament score shows some team improvement, but not enough.

He thinks the Aztecs must win the regional tournament to have a shot at making nationals this year. They’ve advanced to the playoffs for the past 18 years.

“Course management, that’s what we’re struggling with,” Waltke said.

The Aztecs have three tournaments remaining.

Three players — Steven Ortiz, Courtney and Stuessel — have earned spots for the next tournament on March 21 and 22 in Gilbert, Ariz. GateWay Community College will host at the Kokapelli Golf Course.

The other three spots will be filled after a qualifying round on March 20.

Waltke will have his players work on chipping and putting. “They grip it and rip it every time,” he said.

Playing with that mentality is like a basketball player taking a three-point shot instead of going for an open two-pointer, Waltke said.

ON DECK:

March 21 & 22: @ GateWay Community College, Gilbert, Ariz., Kokapelli Golf Course, 12:30 p.m.

The Pima Community College women’s golf team played two tournaments back to back over four days, March 12-15.

Because the team has just three players, the Aztecs were unable to record a team score.

No player placed in the top 10 at either tournament, held at Foothills Golf Course in Phoenix and The Legend at Arrowhead Golf Course in Glendale.

GateWay Community College hosted the Foothills tournament March 14-15.

The Aztec women shot some of their best scores on the fourth day of tournament play.

Freshman Abriana Romero had the best score with an 89, an eight-stroke improvement over her first-day score.

Freshman Shelby Empens improved upon her first-day score by three strokes with a 98. Sophomore Alondra Olivas trimmed six strokes off her first-day total with a 105.

Paradise Valley Community College hosted the Arrowhead tournament March 12-13.

Romero shot 95 on the second day of the tournament, one stroke higher than than her first-day total. Empens shot 104 each day. Par at Arrowhead is 72.

Pima will host the next tournament at Silverbell Golf Course on March 26 and 27.

“They’re looking forward to it,” head coach Bill Nicol said.

The players welcome the chance to travel minutes instead of hours to a tournament.

“The girls have played better rounds here than any away tournament,” Nicol said of the Silverbell course.

Nicol will be the host for incoming tournament teams, and will compile individual and team scores.

“It’s harder work for me, but I’m looking forward to it, too,” Nicol said.

ON DECK:

March 26 & 27:  Pima CC, Tucson, Silverbell Golf Course, 11 a.m. and 10 a.m.

April 9 & 10: @ Mesa CC, Mesa, Dobson Ranch Golf Course, 11 a.m.

The Pima Community College men’s golf team placed sixth out of nine teams in a tournament at Sun City Golf Course in Sun City, Ariz., on March 1 and 2.

After the first day of the tournament hosted by Glendale Community College, the Aztecs were in seventh place, one stroke behind sixth.

Sophomore Adam Ortiz had the best round for Pima with a 74, which is two over par for the course. Freshman Trey Terry shot a 75.

The other four Aztecs who competed were freshmen Joseph Courtney, Mark Bolinske, Austin Stuessel and Jonathan “Tommy” Chong.

On the second day of the tournament, Courtney improved on his first day score by five strokes, shooting a 76.

Ortiz added five strokes to his second round, but still managed to have the best overall score for PCC at the tournament, totaling 153.

Pima ended with a team total of 617, tying for sixth place with Eastern Arizona College. First-place South Mountain Community College had a two-day total of 584.

“I was pretty disappointed in the way they played and they were too,” head coach Grant Waltke said.

It will be back to the drawing board for the Aztecs, as Waltke had the men play qualifying rounds March 6 and 7 to make the team for the next tournament.

The biggest struggle for the players is their chipping and putting.

Waltke said there is nothing particularly hard about the next course the Aztecs will play, but noted there was nothing particularly difficult about the previous two courses either.

“They got to do it on their own,” Waltke said about the need for practice.

Waltke also feels that if the guys don’t get on top of their game, they might not qualify for nationals this year.

The Aztecs’ next tournament will be hosted by Chandler-Gilbert Community on March 12-13 at Toka Sticks Golf Course in Phoenix.
“I hope they can start playing to their capabilities, ‘cause (they haven’t done it yet,” Waltke said.

ON DECK

March 12 & 13: @ Chandler-Gilbert CC, Phoenix, Toka Sticks Golf Course, 10:30 a.m.
March 21 & 22: @ Gateway CC, Gilbert, Ariz., Kokapelli Golf Course, 12:30 p.m.

Photo By Mylo Erickson

Pima Community College women’s golf team players were unable to place in the top 10 during a tournament hosted by South Mountain Community College at the Legacy Golf Course on Feb. 27 and 28.

Despite 40 mph winds, the first day of the tournament started with promise.

Freshman Abriana Romero shot a 93, which set her up in sixth place. Fellow freshman Shelby Empens finished with a 97. Par for Legacy is 71.

The second day was not as productive.

Romero shot a 101, dropping her out of the top 10 individuals’ race.

“Abri was upset she finished out of the top 10,” head coach Bill Nicol said.

Empens’ strokes brought her second day total to 99. Sophomore Alondra Olivas improved upon her first day total and shot 102 on her second day.

Mesa Community College won the tournament with a team score of 675. The Aztecs did not acquire a team score as they are still a player short.

On March 12 and 13, the Aztecs will play in a tournament at the Legend at Arrowhead Golf Course in Cave Creek, Ariz., hosted by Paradise Valley Community College.

Nicol has never seen the course, so is not sure what to expect.

The women are currently still practicing at Randolph Golf Course but may move their practices to Silverbell Golf Course in the near future.

The Aztecs will host a tournament at Silverbell on March 26 and 27.

Nicol said the women still struggle in their short game, with chipping and putting consuming too many strokes.

“They’re still a great group of young ladies and I enjoy coaching them,” Nichol said.

ON DECK

March 12 & 13: @ Paradise Valley CC, Cave Creek, Ariz., The Legend at Arrowhead Golf Course, noon.
March 14 & 15: @ Gateway CC, Phoenix, Foothills Golf Course, noon.

The Pima Community College men’s golf team finished seventh in a nine-team tournament Feb. 13-14 at the Legacy Golf Course in Phoenix.

Sophomore Adam Ortiz and freshmen Joseph Courtney, Mark Bolinske, Austin Stuessel, Steven Ortiz and Trey Terry had a team score of 616.

“The boys did not do well,” head coach Grant Waltke said.

No Aztecs placed in the top 10. Courtney came the closest, finishing in 13th. He shot 73 on the first day and 77 on the second. Par for the course is 71. Adam Ortiz, the team’s veteran player, shot the worst round for the Aztecs. He hit an 81 for his first round.

“I didn’t play good at all,” he said. “I was a little nervous, just ‘cause it was the first tournament.”

After the disappointing play in the season’s first tournament, Waltke will shake up the team. Only Adam Ortiz, Courtney, Bolinske and Stuessel will travel to the next tournament. Prospective players will compete for the two remaining team spots.

Waltke said he’ll have his four travel players work on putting, chipping and sand play in preparation for their next challenge, a tournament hosted by Glendale Community College on March 1 and 2 at Sun City South Golf Course.

“It’s an old people’s course, but a good course,” Waltke said.

The other players will concentrate on trying to make the team.

“I have to go back to into qualifying, which is fine cause I know what I can do,” Steven Ortiz said. “I’m pretty sure I’ll get another spot, but it is what it is.”

Waltke, who has been coaching golf for more than 20 years, is confident his current team has potential. He said the players just have to develop confidence and find their stride on the course.

“I know they’re going to do better, I just know, ‘cause they can’t do any worse,” he said.

Freshman Nikko Grau, who is red-shirting this year but hopes to contribute next year, expects the team to improve.

“We’ll definitely get to the caliber we need to be by the time regionals and nationals get out there,” he said.

Adam Ortiz concentrates on putting at the Canoa Ranch golf course. Photo by MYLO ERICKSON.