A front-running conference championship team that was led by two first year golfers saw those same two golfers, Samantha Copeland and Rebecca Reitsma, earn national recognition last night at the awards banquet that kick’s off the 2018 CCAA National championship.
Copeland, out of Calgary, graduated from Bishop Caroll High this past June, won two of four tournaments played to earn the national achievement while Reitsma, a local player and an Aberdeen Hall grad, improved every week and captured that third tournament of the year to join her teammate with national recognition, according to a UBCO news release.
Copeland would be named the PACWEST Player of the Year following two victories and two runner-up finishes during the conference season. The rookie would get off to a perfect start to the season, as she won both the Langara and UBCO Invitationals in her first two university starts. The Calgary product would fall just short of the individual conference title in Nanaimo, falling in a playoff to VIU’s Alex Foston after Foston birdied the par-5 1st at the Nanaimo Golf Club. Copeland’s would finish the conference season with an 82.8 scoring average thanks to never having a round over 87, according to the release.
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Reitsma would be named an All-Canadian in her rookie season thanks to a victory at the UFV Invitational at the Chilliwack Golf Club following rounds of 80 and 78. The dual-sport athlete would be extremely consistent all season, as she never fired a round above 88. In the PacWest Championship at Nanaimo, the freshman would close strong, firing a round of 81 to capture the individual bronze medal in the conference, the release said.
Both UBCO golfers and remaining teammate, McKenna Lesiuk tee off on their opening round on Tuesday (Oct. 16) at the 2018 CCAA Golf National Championships presented by PING, hosted by Medicine Hat College in Medicine Hat, AB. Competition will be at the Desert Blume Golf Club.
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