Ben Whiton and Hannah Dirksen led the Cascades men’s and women’s teams to victory at the Camosun Invitational. (GreyStoke Photography file photos)
The University of the Fraser Valley women’s and men’s golf teams were both victorious at the Camosun Invitational on the weekend in Victoria, highlighted by outstanding individual performances from Hannah Dirksen and Ben Whiton.
At Highland Pacific Golf Course, the Cascades women won the team title for the third time in three PACWEST tournaments – their combined total of 305 was good for a 21-stroke victory as they easily outdistanced the UBC Okanagan Heat (326) and the host VIU Mariners (382).
The No. 4-ranked women’s team in the nation has finished one-two-three individually each of the past two weekends, and each of their three competitors has earned a tourney win. Emery Bardock won the UBCO Invitational, Maddie Kapchinsky won the VIU Invitational, and it was Dirksen’s turn at Highland Pacific. The two-time CCAA All-Canadian from Mission, B.C. fired rounds of 78 and 75 for a two-stroke margin ahead of teammates Kapchinsky (75-80=155) and Bardock (75-81=156).
In the overall standings, the Cascades women (934 cumulative strokes) own a massive 90-stroke cushion on UBCO (1,024) heading into the fourth and final event of the PACWEST season – the UFV Invitational, which runs this Saturday and Sunday at Abbotsford’s Ledgeview Golf Club.
The women’s individual race is more compelling, as Bardock (471), Kapchinsky (478) and Dirksen (479) are battling for the conference’s two CCAA All-Canadian spots.
CAMOSUN INVITATIONAL – COMPLETE WOMEN’S RESULTS
CAMOSUN INVITATIONAL – COMPLETE MEN’S RESULTS
On the men’s side, Cascades rookie Ben Whiton continued his stellar debut campaign, firing a 69 on Saturday and a 68 on Sunday to finish second individually, one stroke back of VIU’s Wyatt Brook. In the overall standings, the Langley, B.C. product sits second with 427 total strokes through three tourneys – one back of UBCO’s James Casorso, and two ahead of Brook in the race for All-Canadian status.
With Whiton setting the pace, the Cascades turned in their best team performance of the season, picking up their first outright win after tying UBCO last week. UFV, ranked No. 7 in the nation, posted a cumulative score of 573 (five over par), four strokes better than the Heat.
Daniel Campbell (T-6th, 71-72=143), Zach Olson (9th, 72-73=145), Kyle Claggett (13th, 73-75=148) and Jacob Lucki (80-77=157) comprised the Cascades’ five-player roster for the team competition, and Halen Davis (70-75=145) and Kai Ji (74-78=152) participated as individuals.
In the team race, UBCO (1,737 cumulative strokes) and UFV (1,740) have separated themselves from the pack, and the three-stroke differential sets up a fascinating duel this weekend at Ledgeview.
The UFV Invitational features a 10 a.m. shotgun start on Saturday, and tee times starting at 8:27 a.m. on Sunday.
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