Briefs: Golfers UCI-bound

Lindsay Gullikson, Kelsey Kawaguchi, Joo Seo and Camille Wagg have signed national letters of intent to continue their women’s golf career at UC Irvine, Anteaters’ Coach Julie Brooks has announced.

“I am extremely happy to be bringing in such a great group of players and women,” Brooks said. “They will make an immediate impact and will help us achieve our goal of winning championships.”

Gullickson, from Bellarmine Prep High in Tacoma, Wash. qualified for state championships as a sophomore by winning the West Central 4A District Tournament. She also qualified for state as a junior and placed 16th.

A member of four straight state championship teams, Gullickson won WJGA Districts and tied for third at the 2013 Pacific Northwest Junior Girls’ Amateur Championship. She tied for seventh at the 2012 PNGA Jr. Girls Amateur.

Kawaguchi, a senior at Los Altos High, played prep golf on the boys’ team, on which she was voted Rookie of the Year in 2011.

She won the Santa Cruz City Amateur Championship in 2013 and was medalist at the Charlie Culver Junior event in 2012. She finished third at the Sacramento State Fair Junior in 2012 and fourth at the AJGA Centennial Taylormade-addidas Qualifier.

Kawaguchi set the course record as well as the Blossom Valley Athletic League and Santa Clara Valley Athletic League record at the Santa Teresa Golf Course with a score of 67 in 2013.

Seo, a two-time Sea View League MVP at Aliso Niguel High, participated in the CIF Southern Section Individual Championship twice and qualified for the Women’s Southern California Golf Assn. Championship.

She was Sea View League individual champion in 2013 and advanced to the CIF Southern Section Southern Individual Regional, in which she placed 12th as a senior.

She won the 2013 Toyota Tour Cup Series at Bella Collina and had four other top-five finishes as a senior. She was medalist in 14 of 15 matches during the 2011 season, which was a high school record.

She was the South Coast League as a sophomore.

Wang, produced a 75.1 scoring average as a senior this fall at Rocklin High in Northern California, She was Sierra Foothill League MVP twice as well as a four-time first-team All-Sierra Foothill League honoree.

She was named to the All-Sacramento River City girls’ golf team as a sophomore and junior and led her team to its first NorCal section championship.

Her nine-hole score of 33 in 2012 was a school dual-match record and she won the 2012 NCGA Junior Tournament at Stevenson Ranch. She was second at league individual finals and had four top-10 finishes at NCGA junior tournaments.

— From staff reports

—

Three Lions lauded

Vanguard University juniors Kelly Heenan and Jessica Neves are repeat honorees on the All-Golden State Athletic Conference women’s volleyball team.

Heenan, a libero out of Newport Harbor High, and Neves, a 6-foot-2 opposite and setter, are joined by sophomore teammate Sarah McKinney, the Lions top blocker.

Heenan led the conference in digs with 502. She ranked No. 18 in the nation in digs for the regular season to help the Lions finish 22-6 and earn a berth in the NAIA Tournament, Dec. 3-7, in Sioux City, Iowa. Heenan has 1,064 digs at Vanguard, to which she transferred from UC Santa Barbara. She also has 90 assists and 19 aces in 2013.

Neves, who began the season as part of a 6-2 offensive scheme which required her to play setter and opposite, shifted roles in midseason to become one of the team’s top hitters. She led the Lions in kills (313) and was fifth in the GSAC in that department during the regular season. She added 61 total blocks and 227 assists.

The 6-0 McKinny led the Lions with 79 total blocks and was sixth in the GSAC during the regular season. She contributed 213 kills in 28 matches and her .276 hitting percentage ranks in the GSAC’s top 10.

Amy Weststeyn of Biola was named Player of the Year, while Aaron Seltzer of Biola is the Coach of the Year.

Vanguard begins pool play at the NAIA Tournament on Dec. 3. It is a member of Pool E along with Northwestern of Iowa (34-2), Spring Hill of Alabama (36-3) and Wayland Baptist of Texas (31-6).

The Lions face Wayland Baptist and Northwestern on Dec. 3, and take on Spring Hill on Dec. 4.

— From staff reports