Strong SCIAC Season Places Five Athenas on All-Conference Teams
LAGUNA NIGEL, Calif. – The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) released the 2018 All-SCIAC teams last week and five Athenas were among the student-athletes honored by the conference. In addition to the five student-athletes honored, head coach Jodie Burton and her staff were recognized as the SCIAC Coaching Staff of the Year.
Margaret Loncki (CMC) was voted SCIAC Athlete of the Year, earning First Team All-SCIAC for the third time in her career and her fourth all-conference nod. She notched individual medalist honors at SCIAC No. 1 and at the SCIAC Championships, and took home second-place at the SCIAC No. 2. At the first SCIAC Tournament, Loncki won with a combined score of 151 (76-75). She also carded a two-day total of 151 at SCIAC No. 2 with rounds of 74 and 77, before winning the three-day SCIAC Championship. Loncki jumped out to a comfortable lead with a three-under-par 69 on Day One, followed by marks of 77 and 74 to win individual medalist honors by three strokes.
Freshman Mira Yoo (CMC) was voted the SCIAC Newcomer of the Year after finishing third overall at the SCIAC Championship, posting scores of 77, 75 and 74 during the three-day stretch. Yoo finished tied for fifth at SCIAC No. 1 (79-79), and tied for second at SCIAC No. 2 with Loncki (74-77) to highlight a tremendous debut campaign.
Emma Kang (CMC) joined Loncki and Yoo on the First Team, while Emily Attiyeh (CMC) and Kelly Ransom (CMC) were Second Team honorees.
Kang finished the first leg of the SCIAC Tournament in fourth-place at 157 (+13). She helped CMS build its lead in SCIAC No. 2 with rounds of 77 and 75 to place in a tie for fourth place at eight-over. Kang finished the SCIAC season with another top-five finish, placing fifth at the Conference Championship at 14-over. This is Kang's second SCIAC honor after being named the SCIAC Newcomer of the Year last season.
Freshman Emily Attiyeh finished the SCIAC No. 1 in a tie for 10th place after shooting 160 across the two days. She fell just outside the top-ten at SCIAC No. 2 with an 11th-place finish at 15-over (76-83). Attiyeh wrapped up SCIAC play for the 2018 season in a tie for sixth place at the SCIAC Championships with rounds of 80 (+8), 70 (-2), and 81 (+9) in the three-day tournament. She ended the Championship at 15-over.
Kelly Ransom earned her third-straight All-SCIAC honor in 2018 with a Second Team accolade. Ransom helped the Athenas to their second-straight SCIAC Championship with a sixth-place finish in the Conference Championship. She carded rounds of 77 (+5), 75 (+3), and 79 (+7) to tie her teammate, Emily Attiyeh, at 15-over for the week in sixth. Ransom was named SCIAC Newcomer of the Year in 2016 and received First Team recognition in 2016 and 2017.
Head coach Jodie Burton and the Athenas coaching staff garnered SCIAC Coaching Staff of the Year honors for the second-straight season after leading CMS to its fifth conference championship crown. The Athenas clinched the SCIAC title by 95 strokes after registering combined totals of 619 and 609 during the two regular season tournaments, and then logging impressive showings of 299, 294 and 307 at the three-day SCIAC Championship.
The Athenas are currently in action at the National Championships at Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla. at the El Campeon Golf Course. After two rounds, CMS leads the Championships by five strokes over Williams College with two rounds remaining.