The Varsity Blues women’s team concluded its successful season by placing first at the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championship on October 21, while the men’s team was unable to build off of its regular season success.
The Varsity Blues women’s golf team dominated the Oshawa Golf and Country club on its way to a first-place finish. The team took an eight-stroke lead over the silver medal University of Waterloo team after the first round of play. This comfortable lead was extended to 23 strokes by the end of the second round, securing the Blues their third consecutive OUA gold medal.
Three Varsity Blues golfers placed in the top 10 of the Ontario-wide field. Sarah Dunning captured the Judy McCrae trophy for her individual first-place finish after two days of golf left her three strokes ahead of the field.
Although Dunning has performed well all season, head coach Chris Tortorice claims that her mental composure allowed her to improve from top 10 finishes to an OUA gold medal. “She stayed patient and took what the course offered, when it came to club selection off the tee and hitting approach shots into the greens,” said Tortorice.
Dunning was trailed by first-year golfer Ana Peric, who tied for second place in the tournament.
Following these two phenomenal finishes was Laura Upenieks, whose sixth place finish extended her streak of top 10 finishes to six straight OUA tournaments.
These three golfers have seen regular success throughout the OUA season. Upenieks, who is in her sixth year of eligibility, finished in first place at both the Allegheny and Toronto invitationals this season. Peric tied Upenieks for gold at the Alleghany tournament and placed third at the Toronto Invitational.
Inconsistency has been a problem for the men’s golf team this season. While a solid team effort propelled the Varsity Blues to first place at the Waterloo invitational, the men were left with a disappointing fifth-place finish at the OUA championship. Ryan Tsang was the team’s top performer at the tournament, finishing in a three-way tie for second.
Tsang’s silver medal was the conclusion to a solid regular season. Tsang placed first at the Western invitational and completed three tournaments within the top four. Tsang was recognized for his success as a member of the OUA first team all-stars. He was joined by Marcus Lam, who tied for tenth at the season ending tournament.
The women’s golf team will compete in the Canadian University/College championship later next spring.
