‘Eaters crowned champs

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA -- The UC Irvine women’s golf team won its second consecutive Big West Conference title Tuesday, and the men weren’t too shabby themselves.

The Anteaters captured the women’s title with a three-round total of 886 at Tijeras Creek Golf Club. That was 43 strokes ahead of second-place Long Beach State (929), followed by UC Riverside in third (941).

Anchored by sophomore Kenny Kim’s final-round three-under-par 69, the UC Irvine men finished with a total of 868 over three rounds at Tijeras Creek. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo won the men’s title with an 853.

UCI sophomore Selanee Henderson’s score of 219 (three-over-par) edged teammate Jane Chin (220) for women’s medalist honors.

Carling Cho and Angela Won took fourth and fifth, respectively, with three-round totals of 225 and 226 for UCI. Kim Lorenzana finished tied for 10th with her three-round total of 233.

Lorenzana, Henderson and Won all were named to the All-Big West first team, while Chin and Cho made it onto the second team.

Henderson earned the Big West Player of the Year award, joining former UCI golfer Walailak Satarak (2002) as the only Anteaters to earn that honor.

Anteater women’s Coach Kelly Crawford was also honored as Big West Coach of the Year for the second time.

The Anteater men were led by sophomore Derek Uyesaka, who finished third with a two-under-par 214. Kim finished tied for fifth at 217.

Junior Brian Edick and sophomore Garrett Sapp ? both all-Big West first team selections ? finished tied for 11th overall with a total of 220, while freshman Tim Cha finished 23rd at 224.

Kim made the all-conference second team and Cha was selected Big West Freshman of the Year.

UCI men’s Coach Paul Smolinski was named Big West co-Coach of the Year.

Both Anteater teams now await pairings for next month’s NCAA regionals.dpt-ucigolf26.IMGGraphicInfoC21QB0Q120060426C21QB0Q1No Caption