MORRO BAY, CA – SBCC's Carlee Steven capped off her sophomore year with a second straight All-State selection, finishing sixth overall at the CCCAA Women's Golf State Championship at Morro Bay Golf Course this past weekend.
The Ventura, CA native moved into the top-6 thanks to a huge final round on Monday, leading all 56 golfers by carding a 76. She finished with a score of 162 (86/76), eight strokes out of first place and one ahead of seventh.
Steven was playing well on day one until the 12th hole, where she had a "little snafu" according to head coach Devin Engebretsen, getting caught in a really tough pin position and chipping several shots just to see the ball roll back to her feet. She took a nine on the 12th hole, setting her back a good deal heading into day two.
"Carlee really battled back on Sunday and shot the best round I've ever seen her shoot," said Engebretsen. "She was precise with everything. Shooting 4-over was even more impressive because she was 3-over par through the first two holes and shot just 1-over the rest of the way."
After her slow start to day two, Steven birdied on holes three, five and seven. Later, on the same 12th hole that she struggled with the day before, she got another huge birdie.
The pressure was exacerbated for the final three holes, as the setting sun forced her to shoot faster and with significantly less light.
"On 18, they brought a van out to put the headlights on the green so they could see. That's how dark it was," Engebretsen said. "In golf, it's a cerebral deal where tempo and flow matter. She had to speed up and kind of got out of her flow, but Carlee's irons and putting were outstanding. We're sad to see her go. I wish I could have her for one more year, but I'm looking forward to seeing her move on to a four-year school."
Steven wasn't the only Vaquero to have a big Monday. Joey Fletcher also enjoyed a huge outing, improving on her day one score by 15 strokes. That put her in a tie for 42nd overall with a 189 (102/87).
"Joey came back day two played really well," Engebretsen concluded. "I'm proud of all the young ladies in our program for their resilience. Fighting for the season and coming in third place in conference was great, and we're looking forward to next year and achieving even higher results."
Modesto (666) captured its second straight team state title, followed by Canyons (668) and Saddleback (672). Fullerton's Catherine Lee shot a 154 to win the individual championship on a tiebreaker with Canyons' Motoka Shimoji.
INDIVIDUAL SCORES (SBCC)
6 – Carlee Steven (162 - 86/76)
T42 – Joey Fletcher (189 - 102/87)
TEAM SCORES
1. Modesto (666 - 350/316)
2. Canyons (668 - 331/337)
3. Saddleback (672 - 343/329)
4. Reedley (685 - 341/344)
5. Napa Valley (693 - 346/347)
6. Fullerton (695 - 355/340)
7. Sierra (718 - 361/357)
8. Bakersfield (741 - 372/369)
