JC men’s golf: Reedley captures first state title

Reedley College men’s golf coach Scott Stark saw a lot of potential from his players before the season started.

The Tigers didn’t disappoint all season, winning 16 tournaments – culminating with the state championship Monday.

Reedley shot a 745 on the Desert Island Golf and Country Club course in Rancho Mirage for the first state title in school history.

“Winning the state championships was a terrific feeling for these young guys and our college,” said Stark, who was an assistant under John Perkins from 2011-14 before taking over last season. “We have worked very hard to get to the point to be able to compete for a state championship, and to win it is very satisfying. I am very proud of the kids, their hard work and the dedication to be the best team in the state. It’s a great day for the Reedley College Tigers golf program.”

It’s the second state title for Stark, who won his first with Fresno City College in 2009, which also was the Rams’ first.

The Tigers shot an opening-round 364 and finished the afternoon round with a 381. They were led by Ryder Rochin, who shot a 147 to finish third. Ben Campbell of College of the Canyons was medalist at 142.

Reedley entered the state championships coming off a 15-stroke victory in the Northern California Regional championship.

Last season, the Tigers finished second in the state.

“I thought we were extremely talented,” Stark said. “We had five freshmen in the top six in 2015. I also knew that I had four to five very talented freshmen coming in for 2016. I felt we had upgraded our talent level from top to bottom, and that we were going to be very deep.

“I loved the mix of veteran leadership and young guys trying to prove themselves. The expectations here at Reedley are very high for the golf program. We are constantly fighting for respect because we are a small school, but we are respected now because of the success we have had since 2011. We are a program that has earned what we have received, and we want to continue to get better and better.”

This story was originally published May 17, 2016 at 4:17 PM with the headline "JC men’s golf: Reedley captures first state title."