COSTA MESA, Calif. — On a slow day of conference play at the Los Lagos Course at Costa Mesa Country Club, golfers navigated the par-72 layout measuring 6,573 yards.

At the top of the leaderboard, Cory Rose of Victor Valley College delivered the round of the day, firing a 5-under 67 to capture medalist honors. Rose led a strong showing from Victor Valley, which placed multiple players near the top, including Brady McColm and College of the Desert’s Mason Montgomery, who each shot 3-under 69. Sinjin Armstrong (College of the Desert) and Brady Fonville (Victor Valley) followed at 2-under 70.

Victor Valley College claimed the team title at 10-under, finishing ahead of College of the Desert (-6). Riverside City College placed third at +9, followed by Cypress College (+12), Mount San Antonio College (+15), and Orange Coast College (+17). Mount San Jacinto College finished seventh at +18, just ahead of Cuyamaca College (+20).

For Mount San Jacinto, Akoni Johnson turned in the team’s top performance, finishing tied for 17th at 3-over 75 — a round that told a deeper story than the scorecard might suggest.

For 15 holes, Johnson had it rolling.

“Past couple tournaments, I’ve had a really rough time just being in my head,” Johnson said. “Today, I just came in wanting to have a good day and hit some good shots and not really worry about my score.”

That approach paid off early. Johnson played a composed front nine, going out in even par 37, highlighted by three birdies alongside a double bogey and a bogey.

“I shot even par… so it was a good first nine, and it was a good day,” he said.

But golf has a way of turning quickly.

On the par-4 16th, Johnson’s round unraveled after an errant tee shot left him in trouble behind a tree.

“I hit a pretty bad tee shot… right behind a tree,” he said. “Had about a three-foot gap… I pushed it a little right, hit a tree, and I was in some pretty thick stuff.”

What followed was as much a mental battle as a physical one.

“I was just in my head on that hole, thinking about the end result… it was a battle,” Johnson said.

The result was a triple bogey — a 7 on the scorecard — that derailed an otherwise steady round.

But instead of letting the moment define his day, Johnson responded.

“After 16… I told myself, ‘Get out of your head,’” he said. “Go to 17, make a par, go to 18, make a par, and make that the end of the day.”

He did exactly that, steadying himself down the stretch to secure MSJC’s top individual finish.

Behind Johnson’s 75, several Eagles contributed to the team score:

• Jacob Aylward (T21, +4, 76)
• Anthony Saavedra (31st, +5, 77)
• Shane Agundez (35th, +6, 78)
• Mac Brigham (43rd, +8, 80)
• Nick Sandoval (48th, +16, 88)
  

  

  

Despite the seventh-place finish, the tournament gave Mount San Jacinto valuable experience as the team continues its season against conference opponents