VIU golfers take gold

It couldn’t have been much closer.

After four tournaments and more than 2,200 strokes, the Mariner’s golf team has staked its claim to provincial gold.


Matt Cella, Matt Hadadd, Kristian Hrabowych, Tyson Lemon and Josh Logan combined for a score of 2,229 strokes to edge University of the Fraser Valley Cascades by two strokes and win the British Columbia Colleges Athletic Association (BCCAA) championship.

Eight teams from universities and colleges throughout the province competed at four tournaments in September and October. Five golfers on each team played. The top four scores counted toward the cumulative totals.

With a five-stroke victory at Chilliwack in late September followed by a one-stroke win at the Nanaimo Golf Course in early October, the Mariners held a slight edge going into last weekend’s final event at the Seymour Golf and Country Club in North Vancouver.

“They had a one-stoke lead going in to the final tournament and had some adverse conditions but they hung in and got it done. It’s a great result,” said VIU Athletic Director Bruce Hunter.

The last provincial title for the Mariners men’s golf team was in 2005 and Hunter said it’s a tough challenge coming out on top of a field that is becoming increasingly competitive. Hunter said each Mariner golfer posted great rounds to help clinch the BCCAA victory. “You don’t win at golf without all five guys contributing,” Hunter said.

Logan was a VIU standout in the four tournaments and named a provincial all-star. He tied for third in individual performances. Coach Kevin Oates said Logan showed impressive consistency.

“He played extremely well in all four tournaments and his solid performance helped inspire the rest of his teammates. He won the third tournament hosted by VIU at Nanaimo Golf Club and led our team in most birdies made, driving distance and scrambling percentage, “ Oates said.

The Mariners felt plenty of pressure going into the final tournament.

“After a disappointing sixth-place finish at the nationals in Kamloops last week, we were really hoping to prove that we could close on provincials on top," Oates said. "We haven't won in five years and we really wanted to bring a banner home for VIU.”

Team depth and clutch putting kept the Mariners in contention throughout the series and the team posted a strong finish.

“Both Matt Cella and Tyson Lemon birdied the last hole of the last round,” Oates said. “At any time any of our players could have been pegged as our No. 1 or No. 5 player. This kind of depth certainly made things easier throughout the season.”

Camosun College placed third in the series at 2,248 with Thompson Rivers University fourth at 2,281.

Meanwhile, the Mariner men’s and women’s soccer teams are looking to extend their winning ways at the provincial championships this weekend. The women head into the playoffs undefeated while the men lost only a single game during the regular season.

For more on VIU golf as well as the playoff picture for the soccer teams, visit viu.ca/mariners.