WC golfers begin nationals

 

It's no secret that sports teams at Weatherford College waste no time in finding success. 

 

The volleyball team was among the national elite in its inaugural season and has made back-to-back national appearances. Softball reached its first national tournament in speedy fashion. 

 

Baseball made a regional finals appearance in only its second season of existence. Tennis made an instant splash nationally. 

 

And now, in only the second season for the women and third for the men, the Weatherford College golf teams are competing for a national championship. The women's NJCAA Division I Tournament is May 12-15 at Buffalo Dunes Golf Course in Finney City Kansas May 12-15. The men will play May 13-16 down the road at Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton, Kansas. 

 

The women's course is rated No. 1 among public courses in Kansas and the men's is No. 2. 

 

Both teams won their conference and qualified after competing in their respective district championships. The men's team was eighth in the South-Central District at Hideout Golf Club and Resort in Brownwood, while the women were third in the Southwest District at their own Canyon West Golf Course. 

 

This success is happening under first-year coach Dave Rennhack, who played for the Coyotes in the mid-1980s under the late legendary WC coach Rod Embry. 

 

MEN 

The Coyotes take pride in having competed alongside some of the toughest competition in the country. This includes being the only community college team in the field at the Gulf Coast College Invitational in New Orleans, where they tied for ninth and defeated four university programs. 

 

They also tied for seventh overall and were the top two-year college at the prestigious Shadow Valley Invitational in Rogers, Arkansas. They were third recently at the NJCAA Region 5 Tournament in San Angelo, defeating three of the teams they'll see at nationals, No. 2 Odessa, No. 7 McLennan and No. 8 Western Texas. 

 

The Coyotes were recently ranked No. 9. 

 

And on the same course on which they'll be playing nationals, they finished ninth at the NJCAA National Preview tournament this past fall. 

 

"Anticipating an appearance at the national championship, we played a tough schedule this spring on championship courses in tough conditions and it has prepared them well for this," Rennhack said. "At Newton, there will be winds gusting up to 40 miles per hour and I think that could work in our favor." 

 

The six golfers making the trip for the Coyotes are sophomores Braylon Mahanay from Aledo and Ethan Armendariz, along with freshmen Jett Moore from Aledo, Dawson Langan, Nathan Anderson and Abdo Fakori. 

 

Fakori and Anderson joined the team after the holiday break, coming from Central Arkansas and Seminole State, respectively. 

 

"We had a solid team already, and bringing in these guys helped quite a bit," Rennhack said. "We really don't have a standout superstar. It's been a combined effort." 

 

That is evident by the variety of top players in tournaments this season. For example, Fakori led at the Region 5 Tournament (sixth overall) and the Shadow Valley Invitational, Mahanay topped the team at the Gulf Coast Invitational (tied for ninth) and shared top honors with sophomore Giovanni Vezza in Las Cruces, New Mexico, Vezza led the Coyotes at the Waco River Classic (ninth) and Armendariz was the low scorer on the team at the fall tournament in Newton. 

 

The Coyotes come into nationals having already faced many of the teams, who also happen to be in their own region. These include Odessa, Western Texas, Midland, New Mexico Junior College and McLennan, who are also among the top 10 nationally. Then, there's also Ranger and New Mexico Military Institute. 

 

"This region is just tough in all sports, and golf is no different," Rennhack said. 

"I think our players are very well prepared," Rennhack said. "Certainly, it's a great opportunity for the guys and I think we'll do really well." 

 

WOMEN 

The women's team enters nationals having made history with their first team championship in the Jacksonville College Invitational last fall. They also finished second in the Buccaneer Fall and Spring Invitationals in Brenham, along with being the runner-up in the Fall Aggie Invitational in Ardmore, Oklahoma and at the Texas Wesleyan Invitational at Squaw Creek in Willow Park, fourth in the Texas Intercollegiate in Fort Worth and sixth at the Waco River Classic and NJCAA Division I Islander Classic in Corpus Christi. 

 

"They've played really well this spring and have gotten a lot out of their games; my  assistant Coach Katie Johnston has done a great job motivating them" Rennhack said. 

 

The return of Catherine Haas-Black was a boost to the team, Rennhack said. She played for WC in their first season, transferred to Arlington Baptist and was allowed by the NJCAA to transfer back after the holiday break this season, he noted. 

 

"She's going to go play at the next level. Her game has really come around," he said. "Our entire women's team has just steadily gotten better and her coming back just boosted that." 

 

Haas-Black was named the Northern Texas Junior College Player of the Week in April after she finished second in the Buccaneer Spring Invitational. 

 

She will be joined on the nationals' team by five freshmen, Kyla Morales of Aledo, Corrina Haros, Emily Gutierrez, Ella Barton and Emily Caldwell. 

 

Haros led WC in several tournaments this season, including second in the Texas Wesleyan Invitational and the Texas Intercollegiate, fourth in the Southwest District Championship and Buccaneer Fall Invitational, and 10th in the Islander Classic. 

 

She was also third in Jacksonville behind Gutierrez, who was runner-up. In addition, she was fifth in the Buccaneer Spring Invitational and the Fall Aggie Invitational, with Morales placing third. 

 

"Corrina has had a great season and has topped the leaderboard throughout the year and is ranked 28th in the nation. She has really been something to watch," Rennhack said. 

 

Weatherford had four top-10 finishes in Jacksonville with Morales placing eighth and Barton 10th. They had three top-10 finishes in Ardmore with Gutierrez placing seventh and Morales eighth. 

 

Along with Weatherford, ranked 11th in the nation, Region 5 will include Odessa, New Mexico Junior College, Blinn and McLennan at nationals. 

 

And, like the men, the women will be facing tough, windy conditions. 

 

"They have a great attitude," Rennhack said of the Lady Coyotes. "They work hard, enjoy competing, have great team camaraderie and just having a good time. 

 

"I think we'll finish much higher than they are ranked."