Sparks fly in Southwestern League golf championship as Great Oak’s Nathan Sampson wins title

Derryl Trujillo Sports Writer

MURRIETA – Although Great Oak’s Nathan Sampson isn’t a member at Murrieta’s Bear Creek Golf Club, the Wolfpack senior standout has had a history of success on the Jack Nicklaus designed layout. He held the overnight lead after a one under par round of 71 at Cross Creek and was looking to add his name as a league champion on Thursday. It wasn’t easy but the San Diego State signee did just that, shooting a final round 71 to post a two-day score of 141 (-2) and record a two-shot margin of victory over defending champion Ryan Abuan and Chayce Frye of Chaparral.

“Coming up 18 it dawned on me that this was my last chance to win this championship and to get it done is a great feeling,” Sampson said.

All four members of the final group (Murrieta Valley’s Brayden Gilpin rounded out the foursome) shot even par 36 on their front nines as no ground was gained or lost. Highlighting the front nine were a couple of near aces from Sampson (on the par three sixth hole) and Gilpin (at number eight) that both players converted for birdies. In fact, the final group made three of their five combined birdies on par threes.

As the temperatures dropped outside, things were heating up on the back nine.

Frye got up and down from right of the green at 11 while Sampson two putted from 40 feet as the two recorded birdies on the par five with Sampson maintaining a two-shot lead. At the short par four 13th Sampson nearly drove the green but made bogey to Frye’s par which chopped the lead to one.

Frye fell two shots back again after missing a short par putt at 14 but would start the final three holes looking at a one-shot deficit after Sampson bogeyed 15, failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker.

“Between 15 and 16 I had to remind myself that I still had the lead and to calm down,” Sampson added. “This was probably the worst one under par round of my life, but it got the job done and I go into the CIF-SS regional qualifier with a nice confidence boost.

Credit to Chayce and Ryan for not going away and making me earn it with some great shotmaking.”

At 16, Abuan challenged a back right flag and stuck the tee shot to about five feet above the hole, setting up a much-needed birdie opportunity. Sampson meanwhile got up and down from just right of the green to maintain his lead.

Then at 17, Abuan holed an approach shot from the middle of the fairway for eagle to force his way back into contention. After a 300-yard tee shot Sampson stuck a wedge to two feet and tapped in for a birdie, maintaining the oneshot lead from Abuan and Frye. At 18, Sampson, Abuan and Frye all stuck short approach shots to six feet. Sampson and Frye both converted their opportunities while Abuan missed. Sampson prevailed by two and also tied for the second lowest winning score over the last 12 years.

Frye more than had his chances to tie or even win but had a number of putts lip out (including a pair of birdie putts from less than ten feet at five and 10).

In addition to the race for medalist honors, there were eight other spots to this week’s Southern Section Central Regional qualifier to fill. Great Oak’s Koa Baur shot a five under par round of 67 (the low round of the tournament) and went from three shots outside the line when play started to seven shots clear of 9th place when it finished.

Also earning bids into the CIFSS regional qualifying tournament (started Monday, May 8) in addition to Sampson (GO), Abuan (GO), Frye (Chap) and Kapur (GO) were Clay Yarbro (MV), Gilpin (MV), Travis McSparran (MV), Jayden Alden (MV) and Sam Amoroso (GO).

The top 20 from the CIF-SS regional qualifying tournament will advance to a second individual qualifying round Thursday, May 18 at Oxnard’s River Ridge Golf Course (Vineyard Course). Derryl Trujillo can be reached at socaltrekkie@gmail.com

CIF Southern Section names West as new commissioner

JP Raineri Sports Editor

LOS ALAMITOS – The CIFSouthern Section Executive Committee named Mike West, principal at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, as the organization’s 10th Commissioner of Athletics. West replaces retiring Commissioner Rob Wigod and will begin his tenure as Commissioner on July 5.

“To be selected as the 10th Commissioner of the CIF Southern Section is both a personal and professional dream come true,” West said. “I would like to thank all members of the CIF Southern Section Executive Committee led by President Jim Perry for their belief in me to fill such an important role.”

“I also need to thank Commissioner Rob Wigod for his leadership, his mentorship and his friendship over the last 20plus years,” West said. “He has set a high bar for anyone in this position to attain and I promise to do my best to meet that level of excellence in leading the CIF Southern Section.”

Martin Luther King High School

Principal Mike West has been named the organization’s 10th Commissioner of Athletics by the CIF-Southern Section Executive Committee. Valley News/Courtesy photo

West has been involved in CIFSS athletics for nearly 30 years beginning his career in education as an athletic trainer at Ayala High School in 1994, where he also eventually taught World History, PE and ROP Sports Medicine. For the past eight years, West has been principal at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside.

“Congratulations to Mike West on being selected as the next Commissioner of Athletics for the CIF Southern Section,” Wigod said. “He has a wealth of knowledge and experience in high school education and high school athletics, along with a passion for serving the young people we are so fortunate to work with and for, which will be valuable assets to our member schools.”

The CIF-SS Executive Committee conducted an extensive national search and received a tremendous number of highly qualified candidates from a variety of education based athletic backgrounds. A very in-depth paper screening and background check on all candidates was completed and a group of finalists were unanimously sent forward to the first personal interview round. After the final round of interviews, the Executive Committee agreed to unanimously recommend West for ratification.

“The Executive Committee is extremely proud and happy to have chosen such an extraordinary educator and leader to guide the CIF-SS into the future,” Perry said. His education resume runs deep, and West has also had numerous responsibilities within the State and Southern Section CIF. He was tasked as the first State CIF Master Assessor for Wrestling in 2005 and remained in that role until 2015. He currently serves on the State CIF Sports Medicine Advisory Committee where he began his tenure in 2013.

“He will do an outstanding job leading our organization forward and I pledge to help and support him in every way possible,” Wigod said.

In 2018, West was elected as President Elect of the CIF Southern Section Executive Committee and then served his term as President of the Executive Committee during the pandemic years of 2020. Most recently, West was elected to the State CIF Executive Committee beginning this school year.

“Though I have served in a variety of different roles throughout my career, athletics has always been at my core,” West said. “To have contributed to the service of education-based athletics in so many different ways has allowed me to develop a holistic viewpoint that I will use while serving in my new role as commissioner. I truly want to focus on the individual student experience which encompasses excellent coaching, excellent officiating, proper medical care, sportsmanship and quality playoff championship experiences. I look forward to serving our member schools and their student athletes to the best of my ability.”

West resides in Riverside along with his wife Rhonda and has three children Kevin (24), Brian (21) and Michelle (18).

JP Raineri can be reached by email at sports@reedermedia. com