GAUCHOS WIIN CONFERENCE TITLE

            Saddleback won its 30th conference title in 39 years, including the college's 10th consecutive Orange Empire Conference title, last week by posting a 717 team score during the 36-hole conference championship held on the Los Serranos north and south courses .
            Zach Taylor and Tim Joerin carded indentical 141's (69-72) to finish five strokes under par while Andrew Gahan added a 142 (71-71), Nick Ellis posted a 145 (72-73), and Cole Eby added a 148 (74-74). Cypress finished second on the day with a 722 team score while Santa Ana (731) and Palomar (740) finishing third and fourth, respectively. Cuyamaca had to withdraw from the championship event.
           Saddleback will advance to the Southern California regional championship on Monday, May 5, at Soboba Springs. The top four teams at the regional championship will advance to the state championship on Monday, May 12, at the SCGA Members course in Murrieta.
           Zach Taylor and Tim Joerin both earned all-conference recognition this season. Taylor averaged 71.7 strokes per round during conference matches while Joerin averaged 72.4 strokes per round.
           

SADDLEBACK DEFEATS SANTIAGO CANYON

            Saddleback earned another conference golf victory this week, improving to 11-4 in Orange Empire Conference play and moving to the top of the conference standings for the first time this season. The Gauchos, who have won nine consecutive conference titles, have one match remaining before the conference finals on April 28.
            Zach Taylor led the Gauchos by carding a 1-under-par 71 on the El Prado Golf Course's Chino Creek course. Tim Joerin, Cole Eby, and Van Johnstone each turned in 73's as the Gauchos posted a team score of 368. Santiago Canyon had a team score of 376.
           

GAUCHOS SWEEP CONFERENCE OPPONENTS

            Saddleback swept three Orange Empire Conference opponents on Wednesday to improve to 10-4 in conference play.
            Playing on its home course (Tijeras Creek Golf Club), the Gauchos posted a five-man team score of 375 to outdistance Orange Coast (385), Santiago Canyon (397), and Riverside (420).  Zach Taylor shared medalist honors with OCC’s Ryan Oriza with 1-over-par 73s.  It marked the fifth time in the seven matches during the month of March that Taylor has won medalist honors by posting the lowest score of the match.
            Andrew Gahan and Nick Ellis both shot 74s while van Johnstone carded a 76 and Tim Joerin finished with a 78.
            Only two conference golf matches remain on the Gauchos’ schedule before the conference finals on Monday, April 28.

GAUCHOS GOLFERS WIN HOME CONFERENCE MATCH

            The Saddleback golf team finally got the upper hand in a home golf match last week, edging Palomar (384), Cypress (395) and Cuyamaca (399) on the Tijeras Creek course.
            The Gauchos, who also carded a five-man team score of 384, were named the winners of the conference match when the score of the sixth golfer was used.  Saddleback’s sixth score was an 80 while Palomar’s sixth score was an 81.
            Saddleback’s Zach Taylor earned medalist honors for the fourth time in the past five matches after he turned in an even-par 72.  Andrew Gahan followed with a 75.  Cole Eby added a 78 and Van Johnstone chipped in with a 79.  Both Tim Joerin and Nick Ellis carded 80s  -  one counting in the five-man team score and the other providing the winning margin when counted as the sixth score.
            The win gave Saddleback three victories at home and improves the Gauchos’ record to 6-4 in conference play.  Palomar leads the conference standings at 5-2 with Santa Ana in second at 5-3 followed by Saddleback.  The Gauchos have four more conference matches on the regular schedule.

GAUCHOS WIN CONFERENCE MATCH AT COTTONWOOD

The Saddleback men's golf team defeated all three conference foes in an Orange Empire Conference match at the Cottonwood Country Club on Wednesday (March 12), picking up an important win over host Cuyamaca.
Zach Taylor tied for medalist honors with a 4-under-par 68, the third time Taylor has won medalist honors this month. Van Johnstone added a 1-under-par 71 while Tim Joerin (73), Andrew Gahan (74), and Nick Ellis (76) also added to the scoring.
Saddleback's team score of 362 edged out Cuyamaca (370) and was also better than Orange Coast (369) or Cypress (375).
The Gauchos play a home match at Tijeras Creek on Wednesday (March 19) and will travel to play Riverside on the Victoria Country Club on Monday (March 24).

GAUCHOS EDGED BY SANTA ANA

Saddleback dropped its second Orange Empire Conference match of the season as host Santa Ana edged the Gauchos 365-368 on the south course at the Los Serranos golf course on Monday. Cuyamaca was well back at 388.

Saddleback sophomore Tim Joerin earned medalist honors for the third straight time in three conference matches, firing a 2-under-par 70 to share medalist honors with teammate Zach Taylor and Santa Ana’s Daren Johnson. Saddleback’s other three scorers all carded 76’s on the day.

Joerin is now 8-under-par through three conference matches.

JOERIN EARNS MEDALIST HONORS AGAIN

For the second match in a row Saddleback College sophomore golfer Tim Joerin was named the medalist after firing a low round of 69 on the Oak Creek course on Wednesday, helping the Gauchos defeat Irvine Valley College in an Orange Empire Conference match.
It’s been a good week for Joerin, who fired a 4-under-par 68 on the Twin Oaks course in San Marcos on Monday.
Van Johnstone added a 73 on Wednesday while Nick Ellis (74), Zach Taylor (75) and Cole Eby (78) also contributed to the team scoring. Saddleback evened its conference record to 1-1 on the season.

GAUCHOS PLACE SECOND IN CONFERENCE-OPENING MATCH

Saddleback finished second in a four-team match to open the Orange Empire Conference men’s golf schedule. The Gauchos, who are the defending state champions, shot a team score of 363 to edge past Cypress (365) and Orange Coast (370). Event host Palomar picked up three victories on the day by shooting a team score of 354.

Saddleback sophomore Tim Joerin was the medalist on the day, firing a 4-under-par 68. Nick Ellis added a 73 while Cole Eby, Andrew Gahan, and Ray Biggerstaff each turned in 74’s.

Saddleback will continue with conference play on Wednesday (Feb. 27) when it travels to face Irvine Valley on the Oak Creek golf course.

Mike Rae Takes over Golf Men's Program

Saddleback College has announced that Mike Rae will take over its men’s golf team, replacing Bill Cunerty at the helm of one of the state’s most successful community college golf programs.

Rae, who might be best known for his football success at USC and in the NFL during the 1970’s and ‘80s, has found similar success playing and coaching golf on a local level. As a competitive golfer, he has won three club championships in the Long Beach area. As a coach, he has guided the Long Beach City College men’s team for the past six seasons. Three of those teams won South Coast Conference titles and the 2006 team won the Southern California Regional title to qualify for the state tournament.

Rae takes over the Saddleback College men’s program from Cunerty, who retired from coaching after 26 years with the Gauchos’ program. Cunerty won 24 conference titles, five regional titles, and six state titles during that period.

The similarities between Cunerty and Rae are uncanny. Cunerty attended high school in Torrance, then played football and baseball at USC, playing quarterback on the Trojans’ national championship team in 1967. He was hired on as an assistant football coach at Saddleback in 1980.

Rae attended Lakewood High School, then played football and basketball at USC, playing quarterback on the Trojans’ 1972 national championship team. He was named the MVP of that team, which ESPN selected as the greatest college football team of all time. Rae went on to play 13 years of professional football, including a member of the 1976 Oakland Raiders team which won a Super Bowl during his rookie season. After his playing days, Rae spent four years coaching football at Orange Coast College.