The Sacramento State women’s golf team won its first Big Sky Championship on April 18 and qualified for the NCAA Western Regional.

Coach Adam Pohll is in his third season as coach for both the men’s and the women’s golf team and said winning the conference has been on the team’s mind since he took over the program.

“(We’ve) really been working hard over the past couple of years, and it’s really paid off,” Pohll said. At the Palm Valley Golf Course in Goodyear, Ariz., the team shot a 54-hole total of 884, breaking the previous record held by Portland State in 2004 (886). When Pohll first took over the team, he said the players weren’t very good at the time and didn’t have the skill to win at the Division I level. By placing within the top three in four tournaments, including a first place finish at the Bobcat Desert Classic in Goodyear, Pohll said it was a huge step for the team and was perfect timing, before going into the conference championships.

“I knew we could (win), but winning in my third season was a surprise and a great feeling,” Pohll said.

Pohll was also announced as the Big Sky Conference Golf Coach of the Year on Friday, to add to his list of accomplishments for the year. In the first championship for Sac State, it was senior Margaux Sheehan who led the way with a 54-hole score of even-par 216. Earning the first place finish, Margaux tied the championship record first recorded by Northern Arizona’s Lauren Gray in 2004.

Sheehan led all three days of the tourney, leading by one stroke in day one and four strokes by day two.

“I knew if I just kept it together the last day. . . I could win,” Sheehan said. In day one of competition, The Hornets as a team took a 17-stroke lead and extended it to 27 by day two.

Sheehan said she was excited to win individually in her senior year, but to also win the conference as a team and to have all her teammates finish within the top eight made the experience even better. Teammate Heather LeMaster tied for second at 222 with Northern Arizona’s Bethany LeClair.

Kim Coppin finished fifth at 225. Emily Longcrier tied for sixth at 226, while Jennifer Parkes tied for eighth at 227.

Pohll said it was an emotional day for his team and the two senior leaders on the team, Sheehan and Parkes. Parkes said Pohll was amazed how well the team played at the tournament.

“We’re that good now. Sac State can (win),” Parkes said.

Parkes said it was frustrating for her and Sheehan to not win a tournament in their first three years at Sac State, but said now the team can compete.

The Hornets will have their eyes set on the NCAA Western Regional and are likely to compete at St. George, Utah, May 10-12. The top eight teams from each region will qualify and compete in the national championship.

Pohll said the team making it to Regionals is not only huge for the golf program, but for Sacramento as well.

With a conference title in its pocket, Parkes said it gave the team a huge confidence boost heading into the Western Regional.

“We can be a top eight team. We can go to Nationals,” Parkes said.

Matthew Beltran can be reached at [email protected]