Crescenta Valley’s Roa leads local contingent into CIF
Crescenta Valley High’s AJ Roa took second in the Pacific League.
BURBANK — Out of 16 competitors who began Wednesday’s Pacific League boys’ golf championships, three locals earned a top-five finish and berth to the CIF Individual Tournament.
Crescenta Valley High’s AJ Roa, Burroughs’ Louis D’Aquila and Burbank’s Jason Apinchapong all survived the rigors of Burbank’s De Bell Golf Course and will represent their league at the CIF Individual Tournament at Las Posas Country Club in Camarillo on Monday.
Last season, Crescenta Valley’s Cody Renfro won the championship.
This year, that honor went to Arcadia’s Edward Yu, who carded the day’s best score of four-over-75 and finished with an eight-round total of 518. Yu is the second Apache to win the title in three years.
While the Falcons surrendered the individual title, it wasn’t for a lack of trying.
Roa was the area’s top placer, finishing as the league’s runner-up with a final score of 529, which was buoyed by a seven-over-par 78 on the 5,608-yard course.
“Cody told me last year that he wanted me to win and I tried, I really did,” Roa said. “Top two’s not bad and I’m happy to represent CV.”
Roa’s score tied for the second-best of the day as the Falcon began the afternoon third in league, but leapfrogged Arcadia’s Peter Ju, who finished third with an 82 and a 531.
Perhaps Roa’s best hole was the 16th, where he drove the greens and converted a 20-foot putt for birdie on the par-four, 289-yard hole.
“It was pretty solid,” Roa said. “I thought I had a chance at an eagle, but birdie is cool.”
D’Aquila finished with an 80 to take fourth overall with a 539.
The junior shined most on the par-five, 491-yard 13th hole and converted a tap-in for birdie. The top-five finish brought about a sense of satisfaction for D’Aquila.
“It’s a big accomplishment especially because I missed the last couple of years,” D’Aquila said. “Knowing that I improved so much going into the day was a big confidence booster for me.”
Perhaps the most drama took place in the battle for fifth between Apinchapong and Arcadia’s Ricky Cen.
Apinchapong struggled through the front nine and shot 10-over, but rallied to only go two-over on the final nine to finish with an 83.
Cen carded an 80 and both players tied with an overall score of 546.
The league’s first tie-breaker stipulates that drop scores (worst score by a player over all matches) be used to settle the deadlock.
For both players, an April 21 match at Harding Golf Course proved all the difference, as Apinchapong shot an 84, but Cen missed the match due to a wrist injury and therefore had a worse score.
“I knew that [Glendale’s] Russell [Calentena] was two behind me and then Ricky was then three behind, so every hole, every score mattered,” Apinchapong said. “So, it’s great to advance. All you want is another opportunity to try and move on.”
Since only the top five earned automatic advancement, Cen will be the league’s first alternate.
Burroughs’ Daniel Kesicbasian finished eighth with an 80 and 553, while Calentena (93, 558) was ninth and Burbank’s Jason Snow (79, 558) was 10th.
