Both Oregon golf teams, who will play in the NCAA West Regionals later this month, have had their fair share of ups and downs this season.
But through it all, senior Jerilyn White and sophomore John Ellis have been the spark plugs that have kept their respective teams afloat. And this week, White and Ellis were honored for their play with a spot on the all-Pacific-10 Conference second team.
White, who is currently ranked 27th in the country, has been the constant for the women Ducks by placing in the top-20 in her last seven tournaments as well as finishing in the top-10 three times this season.
Ellis, a transfer from Gavilan Community College in Gilroy, Calif., finished in the top-10 three times for the Duck men en route to recording eight top-20 individual finishes on the year.
White is now only the second Oregon women’s golfer ever to be named to either the first or second all-Pac-10 team. She joins All-American Paula Patterson, who accomplished the feat in 1997 and ’98.
“That’s a really great accomplishment because there are so many good golfers in the Pac-10,” women’s head coach Shannon Rouillard said. “She’s been playing really well and consistent all spring and this is a great reward for all her hard work.”
White is coming off of a ninth-place finish at the April 23-25 Pac-10 Championships in which she shot a 4-over-par 220. The Salem native’s lone victory of the year came at the Peg Barnard California Collegiate at Stanford on April 13-14.
Ellis joins a lengthy list of Ducks to be named to an all-Pac-10 team. He is the 23rd Oregon men’s golfer to be selected and kept alive a four-year streak of Duck selections. Ben Crane and Ryan Lavoie were honored in 1998, Adrian Burtner was selected in 1999 and Lavoie made a repeat appearance in 2000.
Ellis made an immediate impact for the Ducks by capturing first place in just his second tournament of the year. The San Jose, Calif., shot a 1-over 217 to beat out the competition at the Husky Invitational on Sept. 25-26.
“John is a really talented golfer, and he’s only a sophomore, so he’s just beginning to scratch the surface of his full potential,” men’s head coach Steve Nosler said. “I expect really great things out of John as we close out this year and for the next two years.”
The women play in NCAA Regional action on May 10-12, while the men hit the links on May 17-20. Both Duck teams will be playing at Trysting Tree Golf Course in Corvallis.