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CHS girl golfers second at Section Division-IV Tournament
Ceres High qualifies for Masters competition
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Ceres Highs varsity girls golf team continued its impressive run this past week. The Bulldogs advanced to the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Tournament for the first time. - photo by DALE BUTLER/The Courier

Ceres High School's varsity girls golf squad continues to make history.

The Bulldogs posted a team score of 513 on their way to a program-best second-place finish at the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division-IV Tournament on Oct. 27 at Ione's Castle Oaks Golf Club.

"Us succeeding should quiet the critics who think the Western Athletic Conference is weak because of the loss of Central Catholic to the Valley Oak League," Ceres High head coach Randy Cerny said.

The top two teams from Divisionals, including the 2014 WAC-champion Bulldogs and Pioneer Valley League top-seeded Fighting Zebras of Lincoln, qualified for Masters.

Ceres High, which accomplished another first by advancing past Divisionals as a team, finished 15 strokes behind Lincoln (513) last week.

The Bulldogs bested Placer (521), Union Mine (540), Livingston (553), El Dorado (608) and El Capitan (653).

"I'm very happy with the way the girls played," Cerny said. "Everybody shot their best. It was a balanced team effort. That really helped us. We surprised a few people. There are some perennial powers up in that area."

Erica Hogner led Ceres High with a 95.

Caitlin Pfaff, Brittany Turnbow, Abigail Nou and Hannah Smith shot 97, 102, 108 and 111, respectively.

Turnbow, the Bulldogs' No. 4 player, responded after being challenged by Cerny.

She accounted for Ceres High's third-best individual score.

The Bulldogs improved on last year's fifth-place showing.
"The scores started coming in halfway through the tournament," Cerny said. "The celebration started once we qualified as the second team. There were a lot of tears. It was a very special, emotional moment for the entire team. It was magical. I'm still on cloud nine."

Ceres High brought home a runner-up plaque from the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-IV Tournament.

"It's going in my classroom for two more years," Cerny said. "Then I'm going to take it to my man cave."

The Bulldogs have reached new heights this season.
Ceres High secured its fifth-straight playoff berth.

The Bulldogs were undefeated in WAC play. Ceres High won all 12 of its dual matches. The Bulldogs placed first at the conference's mid-season and year-end events.

Ceres High also took third at the prestigious Merced Tournament.

"For me, it's great to be associated with a group of girls like this," Cerny said. "All of them are outstanding students and quality people. All of them are college bound."

Added Pfaff: "We're like sisters, more than a golf team."

"Brittany was the last golfer in," Cerny said. "She needed to shoot below a 116. She turned in the round of her life. As a coach, I got to give her a lot of credit. I'm so proud of her."