Women’s golf: Golfers wanted at Coast

Tony Altobelli

COSTA MESA - Last season, the war-cry for the Orange Coast College

women’s golf team was, “Depth, depth and more depth.”

With the 2000 season just around the corner, Pirates Coach Gordie

Fitzel is singing a slightly different tune.

“We need golfers,” he admitted. “We’ve got a lot of inexperienced

players on the squad. If we want to be competitive, we need a couple of

more quality golfers to help the entire team.”

Last year’s team was undefeated in the Orange Empire Conference and

took third in the California Community College Ladies Golf State

Championships.

Jenna Quaranta is the lone returner from that 1999 squad. “Jenna was

No. 3 or 4 for us last year and her experience will be crucial for our

success,” Fitzel said. “She was our lowest scorer in our first scrimmage

match against the College of the Desert.”

The only other golfer with college experience is Maricela Dietrick,

who played for Coast two years ago, but did not have enough college units

to compete last year.

“Maricela made it to the State Tournament two years ago, so I’m

looking for some good scores from her,” Fitzel said.

Fitzel, never shy when it comes to on-the-spot recruiting, brought

aboard April Solis to the Pirates’ squad.

“I saw April one day at Costa Mesa Golf Course,” Fitzel said. “She’s

in her 30s and she’s got a lot of talent.”

Two Fountain Valley High golfers will compete for Fitzel and the Bucs,

Lindsay Giles and Stacey Schultz.

“They are young, but with some hard work, their scores will start to

drop and drop fast,” Fitzel said.

On a local level, Estancia High product Debra Wyman will compete for a

spot on Fitzel’s staff.

“It’s still hard to tell about anything right now,” Fitzel said. “It’s

so early. I don’t know how the conference looks and I’m just getting to

know my own team. We’ll just have to see what happens.”

ORANGE COAST COLLEGE WOMEN’S GOLF

Jenna Quaranta So.

Maricela Dietrick So.

April Solis Fr.

Lindsay Giles Fr.

Stacey Schultz Fr.

Debra Wyman Fr.

Coach: Gordie Fitzel