2012 All-Area Girls Golf Team: Thousand Oaks' Sophia Chen tops L.A. Daily News picks

Golfer of the Year:
SOPHIA CHEN, Thousand Oaks, Sr.

One of the Marmonte League's most dynamic personalities, Chen had a profound impact on the Lancers' program the past three seasons following her transfer from Westlake after contributing to the Warriors' last championship in 2009.
Chen's teams never lost a regular-season match in her career and once the postseason arrived, she again delivered some of the area's most memorable performances.
With a desire to study at Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, Chen will continue her career competing for the Quakers. She continued to take care of business on the course, capturing her second league MVP honor in the past three years with a three-stroke victory at the tournament over Simi Valley's Cami Sage.
Chen, whose scoring average this season was 36, delivered her two most dominant efforts in a four-day span, tying for medalist honors at the Northern Team Divisional with a 3-under 68, then winning the Northern Individual Regional against a loaded field by carding a 7-under 65. Although an 83 at the Southern Section final prevented a return trip to the regionals and possibly state, when Chen was in top form this year, she was difficult to challenge.

Newcomer of the Year:
ELISA PIERRE, Golden Valley, Fr.

A significant amount of the Grizzlies' success this season can be attributed to Pierre's presence in the lineup. The runner-up in the Foothill League MVP race, as well as in the Newhall Cup, Pierre helped Golden Valley finish in a second-place tie with Hart behind champion West Ranch to secure the team's first postseason appearance.
Pierre shot 74 at the Northern Individual Regional and 83 at the Southern Section final and will be counted on to lead the

SECOND TEAM

Audrey Chung, Crescenta Valley, Soph.
Joany Gao, Burroughs, Jr.
Melissa Leo, La Canada, Jr.
Irene Maemura, Burbank, Soph.
Tina Nagai, Notre Dame, Sr.
Christiana Ritchie, Oaks Christian, Jr.
Cami Sage, Simi Valley, Fr.
Alyssa Marie Sarmiento, Quartz Hill, Fr.
Arielle Valdez, Notre Dame, Sr.
Janet Yeo, Notre Dame, Soph.

TOP 10

1. Notre Dame
2. Harvard-Westlake
3. Oaks Christian
4. La Reina
5. Thousand Oaks
6. Crescenta Valley
7. West Ranch
8. Hart
9. Highland
10. Golden Valley

LEAGUE CHAMPS

Foothill: West Ranch
Golden: Highland
Marmonte: Thousand Oaks
Mission: Notre Dame
Pacific: Arcadia/Crescenta
Valley Pacific View: Oxnard
Tri-Valley: Oaks Christian
Valley 1: Granada Hills
Valley 2: Chatsworth
Valley 3: Birmingham

Match of the Year:
FOOTHILL LEAGUE, Oct. 3

For a program that struggled to win any matches when senior Amanda Hobbs first joined the team in 2009, Golden Valley achieved the biggest victory in its brief history by defeating every team in the league at El Cariso Golf Course, highlighted by a 189-191 triumph over two-time champion West Ranch. Freshman Elisa Pierre shot 31 and Hobbs posted a 37, but it was a pair of 39s from Ashley Pfenning and Kaitlin Thayer that made the victory possible after Illeana Dullas shot 43. Golden Valley finished with 30 victories overall, including 22 in league competition to finish in a second-place tie with Hart, and was the most improved team in the area under coach Tony Moskal.

Grizzlies next season following Amanda Hobbs' graduation.

Coach of the Year:
TIM MEINERT, Oaks Christian

One of the area's youngest lineups continued to mature as the season progressed thanks to the guidance of Meinert, who led the Lions to a Tri-Valley League championship following two victories over La Reina, along with a fifth-place finish at the Northern Team Divisional after edging the rival Regents by one stroke. Oaks Christian, whose only regular-season loss came against Notre Dame, also had Brigitte Dunne, Christiana Ritchie and Kasia Rudnicki qualify for the Northern Individual Regional, with Dunne reaching the Southern Section final.

First Team

JOCELYN CHIA, Crescenta Valley, Jr.: The two-time Pacific League champion also helped the Falcons share the title with Arcadia. After helping C.V. place sixth at the Central Team Divisional with a 79, Chia carded a 72 at the Northern Individual Regional and an 80 at the Southern Section final to advance to the CIF/WSCGA regional tournament for a third consecutive year, where she shot 78 at The Golf Club at Rancho California.
JAMIE CORR, Hart, Sr.: Corr's career resume is one of the most impressive of any athlete to play for the Indians. The Cal Poly San Luis Obispo commit joined former teammate Kendall Dusenberry as the Foothill League's only golfers to capture the Newhall Cup and secure MVP in the same season. Corr, a two-time league MVP, shot 79 at the Central Team Divisional, followed by 75s at both the Northern Individual Regional and Southern Section final, then shot 74 at the CIF/WSCGA regional.
BRIGITTE DUNNE, Oaks Christian, Soph.
Perhaps the area's most improved golfer, Dunne dropped 14 strokes at the Tri-Valley League tournament from last season to take second behind La Reina's Divya Manthena. Dunne led the Lions to a league crown, along with a fifth-place finish at the Northern Team Divisional with a 71. She shot 73 at the Northern Individual Regional and 83 at the Southern Section championship.
DIVYA MANTHENA, La Reina, Soph.:
The two-time Tri-Valley League champion posted a scoring average of 38 and reached the CIF/WSCGA regional tournament for the second year in a row. Manthena shot 72 at the Northern Team Divisional, 77 at the Northern Individual Regional, with a pair of 80s at the Southern Section championship and regional final at The Golf Club at Rancho California.
KATELYN REYNOLDS, Notre Dame, Jr.: A three-time Mission League MVP and winner of the Magnolia Park Optimist Club title, Reynolds was instrumental in the Knights repeating as Mission League champion, winning the Optimist Club and Ayala tournaments and capturing back-to-back Northern Team Divisional titles, carding a 73 at the latter at Soule Park. She also shot 73 at the Northern Individual Regional, then posted a 75 at the team qualifier for the CIF/WSCGA regionals. Reynolds missed advancing as individual with an 85 at the section final.
JOJO SOTTILE, La Reina, Sr.: With a scoring average of 37.7 and securing medalist honors in 11 of the Regents' 14 matches, Sottile was one of the area's most consistent players. The Northern Arizona signee shot 73 in the Northern Team Divisional at Soule Park, then carded a 74 at the Northern Individual Regional at River Ridge's Vineyard Course to return to the Southern Section final, where she shot 84 at Western Hills.
TIFFANY YAU, Van Nuys, Jr.: Repeated as City Section champion in dominant fashion, shooting 5-under 68 at Balboa Golf Course to win the title by nine strokes following an 11-stroke triumph last season. Yau's victory gave the Wolves the past three City individual titles, along with Jann Vongchaisaree in 2010. Yau was one of 22 golfers to shoot 74 or lower at the CIF/WSCGA regional, but missed qualifying for state by two strokes.