Matsumoto Back On Top In Last Conference Match

Last year's Orange Empire Conference MVP, Fumika Matsumoto, was back in championship form on Wednesday as she shot a 1-over-par 73 on the Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club tract, leading College of the Desert to a runaway victory on the last day of the regular season.

Matsumoto, who has been the individual medalist in four of the 10 conference matches this year, leads the conference with a 76.1 stroke average heading into next week's 36-hole OEC Championship tournament to be held at Sun Lakes golf course in Banning.  She shot a 78 earlier this year at Sun Lakes to finish second on that day.

College of the Desert posted a four-person team score of 341, easily getting by Irvine Valley (356), Mt. San Antonio (361), Palomar (366) and the rest of the pack.  The Roadrunners picked up eight wins and lead the conference with 75 total wins.  Desert is in second place with 68 wins while Irvine Valley has 61 wins.   

Hyerin Kim (83) and Rebecca Peng (85) paced Irvine Valley's second-place finish on Wednesday while Kabrea Rosas (84) helped Desert's score.  Mt. San Antonio was paced by Sarah Juelch's 82, but she was the only Mountie under 90 on the warm and breezy afternoon.  Kelsey Hetrick (86) and Brittany Bilek (89) paced Palomar while Orange Coast's Emily Lewis and Cuyamaca's Melanie Stark also posted 86's.

All nine teams are invited to the OEC Championship, being played at the Sun Lakes golf course on Monday and Wednesday, Oct. 26 and 28.  The top 22 individuals and four teams will advance to the Southern California regional championship scheduled for Nov. 8-9 at the Alisal Ranch golf resort in Solvang.  

Matsumoto is in position to repeat as conference MVP barring a complete collapse at the conference championship.  Kim has a 79.6 stroke average and is 28 strokes behind Matsumoto in the race for the season-long individual title.  Juelch (80.1) is in third while Rosas, Yi Chen Tsai of Desert, and Victoria Rodarte of Mt. San Antonio are all tied with an 81.9 stroke average.