Najera Earns Conference MVP Honors

Riverside City College sophomore Everett Najera captured the 2017 Orange Empire Conference Player of the Year award, playing nine conference rounds to a season total of 10 strokes under par as he averaged just 71.0 strokes per round in helping his team also capture the team title.

Najera opened the conference schedule by firing even-par rounds in his first three contests before posting a 3-under-par 69 on his home course, Victoria Country Club.  He added a 2-under-par round at Costa Mesa Country Club and an even-par round at Oak Creek before wrapping up the regular season with a 1-over-par round of 73 at the El Camino Country Club course in Oceanside.  During the OEC championship tournament at Los Serranos Country Club in Chino Hills, Najera posted a 4-under-par round of 68 on the North Course in the morning then turned around and posted a 2-under-par round of 72 on the South Course in the afternoon.

Joining Najera on the all-conference team were Tiger teammates Robby Melton (74.0 avg) and Nick Bridge (74.8).  The Cypress College trio of Dylan Hall (73.4), Matt Rafter (73.7) and Andrew Thomson (74.0) finished second, third, and fourth in conference scoring, respectively, and each earned all-conference honors.

Saddleback College sophomore Austin Briggs (74.2) had the sixth-best scoring average, with Orange Coast College's Justin Collins (74.6) and Jeremy Dorff (75.4) finishing in the top 10 in conference to also earn all-conference recognition.  James Hochsprung of Mt. San Antonio College averaged 75.0 strokes per round and also earned all-conference honors. 

Riverside will advance as a team to the CCCAA South Region Championship at El Camino Country Club on Monday, May 8, along with Cypress and Orange Coast colleges.  Briggs and Hochsprung will advance as individuals, along with Dylan Stone of Mt. San Antonio College who had the best score at the OEC Championship from the rest of the pack (74-74).


2017 All-Orange Empire Conference selections
Steve Sigloch, Riverside - Coach of the Year
Everett Najera, Riverside - Player of the Year
Dylan Hall, Cypress
Matt Rafter, Cypress
Andrew Thomson, Cypress
Robby Melton, Riverside
Austin Briggs, Saddleback
Justin Collins, Orange Coast
Nick Bridge, Riverside
James Hochsprung, Mt. San Antonio
Jeremy Dorff, Orange Coast