PALMDALE, Calif. — The No. 32 Pomona-Pitzer men's golf team picked up a crucial victory this weekend at SCIAC 2, led by a first-place individual finish from Nilay Naik.
The Hens return to campus with a conference-level title, their first team crown in two years. Their last win, coincidentally, also came at SCIAC 2 but was held at a familiar home site in Mountain Meadows. This year, the Sagehens were away, on a difficult, unfamiliar course, but still managed to pull the upset. This resounding win came in dominant fashion - a ten-stroke margin separated the Hens and #29 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. They also took down No. 13 Redlands, No. 30 La Verne, and No. 23 Cal Lutheran along the way. It was an extremely impressive result - and comes at a vital time. The Sagehens are beginning to peak right on the brink of the ultimate SCIAC event, which will decide their fate at Nationals.
Captains John Kim and Max Rockrohr provided the upperclassmen fire down the stretch for the Sagehens. To set the stage, Pomona-Pitzer walked up to the 14th tee in a tight match with their rival, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The Hens were up one stroke with five to play, the Stags biting at their heels. It would be up to the vets to handle the pressure and meet the moment - and meet the moment they did. Kim and Rockrohr dug deep, notching seven birdies collectively in the final five holes. They rose while CMS faltered, going +3 as a team during that stretch. The legendary runs from Kim and Rockrohr landed them at T8 and T10 individually, respectively.
Freshman Naik again led the way for the Sagehens individually. He is shaping up to be a force to be reckoned with in Division III - he absolutely dominated in the Antelope Valley. After just 27 holes, the tournament was all but decided - Naik led by six strokes at 7-under par. His impressive first-round 67 was capped by an incredible finish - 6under in the last 6 holes, with eagles on 14 and the last. He came out firing on Sunday, not shying away from his typical aggressive play style, and turned in 34. He would add another eagle coming in to cement his second collegiate victory - a title he is becoming more and more accustomed to.
Senior Rhen Lee and sophomore Alexander Oh managed to ham and egg to perfection. Despite a long break from tournament play, Lee showed no fearfulness in his spring debut. He was a vital part of the Hens' victory two years ago, and was a contributing member again, firing a +2 74 on Saturday for Pomona-Pitzer's second-best round of the day. Oh provided the spark on day two, bouncing back after a struggle on day one. He was steady and consistent, notching 12 pars, 3 birdies, and 3 bogies on his way to an even-par 72. Both players had top 15 finishes in their own right.
Team Result
1st Place 293-287 (+4)
Individual Results
1 Nilay Naik 67-72 (-5)
T8 John Kim 76-71 (E)
T10 Max Rockrohr 76-72 (+4)
T13 Rhen Lee 74-77 (+7)
T15 Alexander Oh 80-72 (+8)
Up Next: The Sagehens will compete at the SCIAC Championship on April 27-29 at the Costa Mesa Country Club.
