Big honors for Sage Hill boys’ golfers

The Sage Hill School boys’ golf team, which had a breakout year this season, had five players and a coach honored by the Academy League.

First-team selections for Sage Hill, which captured a share of the Academy League title with perennial power St. Margaret’s, were senior Josh Chen and freshman Stewart Hagestad. Sage Hill’s second-team All-Academy League picks were senior Andrew Slusser and juniors Geoffrey Grant and Ryan Babbush.

Sage Hill’s Mike Hogan was named co-coach of the year along with St. Margaret’s’ Rocky Parker. This marked the first season that Hogan, a former professional baseball player, coached the Sage Hill boys’ golf team.

The Lightning emerged this season because Chen, a repeat all-league selection, had more talent around him, such as first-year players Hagestad and Slusser. The trio, along with Grant and Babbush, helped the Lightning have their best year in boys’ golf to date.

On April 3, Sage Hill defeated St. Margaret’s for the first time ever, 199-201, at San Juan Hills Country Club. Slusser shared medalist honors with a St. Margaret’s golfer by shooting a par-36 while both Chen and Hagestad recorded 37s.

It marked the first time St. Margaret’s had ever lost an Academy League match, snapping a streak of 46 consecutive league victories.

Sage Hill finished the season 14-3, 9-1 in league under Hogan, a former Orange Coast College baseball star.dpt.21-golf-CPhotoInfoB81S6BKP20060621iyx6rgncKENT TREPTOW / DAILY PILOT(LA)Freshman Stewart Hagestad, left, and senior Josh Chen were All-Academy League first-team selections for the Sage Hill boys’ golf team this season.