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Lady Mustangs Take On D-IV Championships
10-27 OAK GOLF
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Oakdale High’s girls golf team qualified for the Division IV Sac-Joaquin Section Championships at the Stevenson Ranch Golf Course on Monday. From left, Frankie Taylor, Julie Bolme, Michelle DesRochers, Jaylene Ponce, Valarie Zemlyanskaya and Nicole Stastny led the program to a fourth place finish among eight of the top programs in the SJS. - photo by IKE DODSON/THE LEADER

Deadlocked with Sonora High for second place at 9-3 in the Valley Oak League standings, Oakdale’s girls golf team needed some special scores at the league championships to finish runner-ups in the league standings.

Mission accomplished.

Three Lady Mustang golfers shot under 110 on the par-72 Lockeford Springs Golf Course on Oct. 18, leading Oakdale to a second place finish and advancement to the next stage of the postseason.

The girls took on the best of three leagues at the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV Tournament at the Stevenson Ranch Golf Course in Stevenson on Monday.

Wet and windy conditions didn’t help aspiring Masters qualifiers, but the Mustangs were fourth out of eight teams and saw Oakdale’s Jaylene Ponce come dangerously close to advancing.

Ponce finished the course in 97 strokes to end just one placement short of a Masters appearance. Her fourth place overall score led Oakdale to a 578 total finish. The Mustangs finished better than fifth-place Central Catholic and outshot Sonora for the second straight week.

Ponce is the first alternate to Masters, and will make the tourney lineup, should a Division IV qualifier be unable to compete.

Julie Bolme shot a sharp 113 at D-IVs while Michelle DesRochers — donning her trademark Boston Red Sox cap — ended in 115. Nicole Stastny carded a 126 while Frankie Taylor shot a 127 and Valarie Zemlyanskaya a 142.

The VOL championships last week were dominated by five consecutive East Union scores in positions first through fifth on the tournament scoreboard.

Ponce recorded a 104-stroke score to finish as the top non-Lancer, while Bolme’s 106 was good enough for sixth overall. Stastny was just one stroke behind at 107 while DesRochers shot a 112 and Taylor a 121.

Ponce earned first team All VOL honors after a season saw her nab medalist honors in nearly every match. She was in the running for a league MVP, but saw Lancer standout Jillian Goulart (84 strokes at Lockeford Springs) take the honor.

“I thought the girls improved greatly from the beginning of the year,” Oakdale coach Lee McGhee said. “Their scores at Divisionals showed how well they have progressed and how hard they worked this season.”