By MARTY JAMES
martyjames.sports@gmail.com
AMERICAN CANYON – Having completed the dual match and Big 8 Conference tournament season, the Napa Valley College women's golf team now turns its attention to the 2025 California Community College Athletic Association-Northern California Regional Championships.
The Storm, which finished in third place in the Big 8 Conference, will travel to Madera Golf and Country Club, joining a field of eight teams, for the two-day, 36-hole Northern California Regional Championships, scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 9 and Monday, Nov. 10.
"It's a lot of golf. However, I think a big factor is our team chemistry. We build each other up and we fire each other up," the Storm's Libby Webb said during a practice round on Thursday at Chardonnay Golf Club & Vineyards, the team's home course. "We go into the round with a good mood. And I think that aspect is very important. I think it will help us succeed. Keeping our spirits high while we're out there is a big factor in how you play. Because if you start getting upset, then things will unravel."
The event is a qualifier for the 3C2A State Championships, Nov. 16 and 17, at the River Course at Alisal, in Solvang (Santa Barbara County).
"I'm very proud of what our women did here in the Big 8 Conference. To place third is great for our team and our program," said coach Bob Freschi. "And like I told the team the other day and again today, everybody's on ground zero. It's a 36-hole event. It's not one day, 18 holes. So, it's that ability to play each hole and be smart and eliminate that big number and just everything that we practice and we strive for.
"Now is the time to just go ahead and play your best golf."
The top-4 teams and six individuals who are not on those teams advance to the State Championships.
Play begins Sunday with tee times off No. 1 starting at 10:30 a.m.
There is a 9 a.m. shotgun start on Monday.
Napa Valley's team is led by its two All-Big 8 Conference players, Webb, a sophomore, and Kylee Scroggs, a freshman. They have each played very well for the Storm this fall.
Webb posted a 5-over-par 77, a career-low round, to lead the Storm to a second-place finish in a Big 8 Conference match at the Bing Maloney Golf Complex in Sacramento on Sept. 24. She placed third individually and Napa Valley posted a season-low 331-team score.
Webb placed 12th individually to lead Napa Valley at the 2025 3C2A Women's State Preview, a two-day, 36-hole event, Oct. 12-13, at the River Course at the Alisal, in Solvang (Santa Barbara County). Napa Valley finished in eighth place in the 11-team field.
Scroggs was the low individual medalist, firing a 76, a season-low score, and the Storm finished in second place at the Big 8 Conference's ninth match of the season on Oct. 27 at Wildhorse Golf Club, in Davis.
"We got third place for the whole season. So, we are going into it with a positive mindset," said Scroggs. "I think we all have to play well. And we all know that.
"Our team is super close. We all have very positive mindsets. I think we're just excited to go out there and just show what we've got. We really want to make it to states. That's our big goal. We're really going to put in all the effort we can."
In its final Big 8 Conference tournament, Napa Valley finished in third place at Pheasant Run Golf Club, in Chowchilla, on Monday, Nov. 3. Webb's 4-over-par 77, highlighted by two eagles and two birdies, led the Storm. She made eagle putts from 4 and 8 feet, respectively.
The NorCal field consists of Napa Valley, Reedley College, Modesto Junior College, Sacramento City College, Sierra College-Rocklin, San Joaquin Delta College-Stockton, Taft College and Fresno City College.
Also, playing at NorCals for the Storm are Hanna Ruggles and Hazel Zastrow, both sophomores, and Loret Osorio and Rylie Olmo, both freshmen.
"We've all shown that we can do pretty good under pressure," said Ruggles. "We've all been playing pretty good." NVC will play a practice round at Madera Golf and Country Club on Saturday. The Storm played at Madera Golf and Country Club in September, finishing in third place in a Big 8 Conference tournament, posting a 343-team score.
It's a par-73, 5,520-yard layout.
"It's a great course to have regionals at, because I think it's gettable, but it's also a little tricky," said Webb." If you're not having your best day, you have to make recovery shots. But if you are having a good day, you could definitely go low there. So, I think it's a fun test of golf.
"It's a good two-day event. You have to stay in it the whole time. Any of our previous standings are just off the board. So, it's from scratch – 36 holes. Just got to be the best.
"At the end of the day, all you can do is control your ball. You just have to try to keep a good head space. You're not worried about end results. You're just trying to keep control of your ball."
Team awards will be presented to the top-3 teams. The top-6 individual finishers earn All-NorCal honors.
"We all progressed well during the season," said Freschi. "There's a nice progression I like to start off with, and they met the criteria I had early on. They just continue to improve.
"We talked about understanding the golf course and being fundamentally sound and disciplined to put up a number that is a little bit below your scoring average. Knowing it's going to be 36 holes, don't let one hole ruin your round. You know you've got to earn it. You got to compete for it. Really excited to watch them play this weekend." The course architect for Madera Golf and Country Club, which was founded in 1953, was Bob E. Baldock, according to the club's website, www.maderagcc.com.
"Our course showcases stunning, mature landscaping throughout and features some of the most challenging greens in the valley," the club's website, maderagolfandcountryclub.com, points out.
"The tricky tree lined layout offers a challenge to both the scratch player as well as the new golfer. You can play the course from a variety of tees ranging from 5,500 yards to 6,600 yards. The traditional old style small greens will test your short game and putting touch. Madera Country club has hosted numerous U.S. open qualifiers and is host to the yearly Madera County Amateur," the club points out on its website, maderagolfandcountryclub.com.
The 3C2A Southern California Regional Championships are Nov. 9 and 10 at Olivas Links Golf Course, in Ventura.
* Marty James is a freelance writer who makes his home in Napa. He retired on June 4, 2019 after spending 40 years as a sports writer, sports editor and executive sports editor for the Napa Valley Register, a daily newspaper in Napa County. He is a 1979 graduate of Sacramento State and a member of the California Golf Writers & Broadcasters Association. He was inducted into the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Hall of Fame in 2016, the Vintage High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019, and the Napa High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022.