Linksters Struggle to Fourth-place Finish at Tijeras Creek, Remain in Third Place in OEC

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA -- The Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers men's golf squad struggled to a fourth-place finish last Monday (March 10) at Tijeras Creek Golf Club in an Orange Empire Conference (OEC) match hosted by the Saddleback College Gauchos. 

Riverside (24-11 in OEC play) shot a collective team score of 380. The Santiago Canyon College Hawks won the match with a team score of 367, followed by the Orange Coast College Pirates (368), and Saddleback (377). The Cypress College Chargers were fifth (398) and the Irvine Valley College Lasers were sixth (408).

RCC freshman Eric Cross (Riverside / Poly HS) led the Tigers with a one-over-par 73 with five birdies. Freshman Wes Hatton (Norco / Norco HS) was next, shooting a solid 75, followed by freshman Chad Hambright (Lake Elsinore / Temescal HS) with 76, sophomore Clay Hjulberg (Riverside / Poly HS) at 77, and freshman John Swierczek (Corona / Santiago HS) at 79.

SCC's Nico Mendoza and OCC's Marc Reyes each fired a 68 to earn co-medalist honors.

Through seven of ten scheduled OEC matches, the Tigers remain in third place (24-11) in the OEC standings, four wins behind both OCC (28-7) and Santiago Canyon (28-7). Rounding out the bottom three are Cypress (13-22), Saddleback (12-23) and Irvine Valley (0-35).

RCC continues play on Monday, Mar. 17, when it faces the host College of the Canyons Cougars in a non-conference match at Crystalaire Country Club in Llano, just south of Pearblossom Highway.

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