Girls’ Golf: Breakers capture OCL title

You can call the Laguna Beach High girls’ golf team champion of the Orange Coast League.

The Breakers clinched the league title Oct. 16 by winning matches against Estancia and Costa Mesa (by forfeit) at Costa Mesa Country Club’s Mesa Linda Golf Course (par 35).

It is the fourth girls’ golf title in school history and first for Head Coach Scott Finn, as well as the first title in the Orange Coast League. Laguna won its first league championship in 2007 by taking the Golden West League title with a 10-0 record. The Breakers were co-champs in the GWL in both 2008 and 2010. All three titles came under then-Head Coach Valorie Quigley.

The 2013 Breakers went undefeated (12-0) against league competition, marking only the second time a Laguna team has not lost a league match in a single season.

Laguna, which improved to 13-4 overall, will be the Orange Coast League’s representative at the CIF team playoffs, which will be played Thursday at Mesa Linda Golf Course.

In the Breakers’ 255-262 win against Estancia, MaryKate Quellmalz captured medalist honors with a score of 46. Murphy Thompson was next for Laguna at 51 followed by Jackie McMahon (52), Audrey Curtis (52), Leslie Dwight (54) and Jamie Hendrickson (62).

The nine-hole scores at Mesa Linda Oct. 16, were used as qualifying scores to advance to the league final tournament.

At the OCL finals tournament played Monday at Mesa Linda (par 70), 18 holes were played and scores were added to the players’ Oct. 16 scores on the course to determine each player’s final placement. The tournament winner was Natalie Mattison of Calvary Chapel who shot 76 Monday to became a two-time league MVP.

Quellmalz, a junior, and McMahon, a senior, finished second and third, respectively, to qualify for the CIF Southern Section Ford Individual Regionals, a shotgun start at 8 a.m. Monday at Mile Square Golf Course in Fountain Valley.

In addition to Quellmalz and McMahon earning first-team all-league honors, Thompson finished seventh, Curtis ninth, and Dwight 11th, to gain second-team all-league status.

“Head Coach Scott Finn and I are extremely proud of MaryKate [Quellmalz] and Jackie [McMahon] both qualifying for CIF playoffs,” Laguna Assistant Coach Sean Quigley said. “It has been a goal for each of them all season, and it’s really satisfying as a coach to see players perform well under pressure and live up to expectations.

“The same can be said for our team. Going into the season we had five returning starters, so Scott and I knew this team had the skill and depth to win the league title. As coaches, we just had to get them practicing the right things, keep them focused and give them an opportunity to play up to their potential, which they did.

“So, overall, we’re really stoked for the girls. These girls have basically been playing together as a team for the last two years and because of the commitment and effort each of them made this year, they will always know they earned the title of 2013 Orange Coast League champions.”

—

2013 OCL Girls’ Golf Finals

First Team: Natalie Mattison, Sr., Calvary Chapel, 111 score; 2. MaryKate Quellmalz, Jr., Laguna Beach, 136; 3. Jackie McMahon, Sr., Laguna Beach, 139; 4. Denise Casillas, Sr., Estancia, 143; 5. Rhe Wilborn, Jr., Estancia, 146; 6. Morgan Wickett, Soph., Calvary Chapel, 151 total.

Second Team: 7. Murphy Thompson, Soph. Laguna Beach, 153; 8. Michelle Becerra, Sr., Estancia, 158 (won eighth card-off); 9. Audrey Curtis, Sr., Laguna Beach, 158; 10. Laura Morel, Jr., Estancia, 160; 11. Leslie Dwight, Jr., Laguna Beach, 162 total; 12. Jennifer Torres, Sr., Estancia, 165.