Gaston Wins U.S. Women’s Amateur Golf Qualifier

Something about the Old Ranch Country Club in Seal Beach appeals to Andrea Gaston of Chatsworth.

Gaston shot a four-under-par 68 at Old Ranch on Tuesday to take medalist honors in a sectional qualifier for the U.S. Women’s Amateur, to be held next month in Hot Springs, Va.

Gaston, 36, won a qualifier for the U.S. Women’s Open on July 8 at Old Ranch.

Gaston hit 16 of 18 greens and holed a chip shot for a birdie on another hole.

“It wasn’t a real hard day for my caddie,” Gaston said. “She just kept handing me the putter every time.”

Gaston led a list of six area players who qualified at Old Ranch--Linda Chen Olsen of Granada Hills, who shot 74 to finish in a two-way tie for second; Clarissa Childs of Glendale (77); Jody Duclos of Moorpark (78); Elise Kimm of Valley Village (79) and Sylvia Kim of Chatsworth (79).

Fifteen players at Old Ranch advanced to the U.S. Amateur, to be held Aug. 8-13 at the Homestead Course. Old Ranch was one of 16 national qualifying sites.

Chen Olsen and Gaston are members of the Porter Valley Country Club. Gaston defeated Duclos in the final of the Women’s State Amateur championship last winter in Monterey.

Softball

The San Fernando Valley-based Stealth went undefeated in a national qualifying tournament in Ohio and has qualified to represent California in the American Softball Assn. Junior Olympic championships Aug. 10-15 in Greenwood, Ind.

The team is composed of players aged 12 and under. Maureen LeCocq pitched all 22 innings in four victories, allowing five hits while striking out 44.

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The Mermaids All-Star team of Oxnard will begin competition at the under-17 Pony Girls Softball National Championships at Round Rock, Tex., on Thursday.

Fifteen players were selected from 388 in the slow-pitch Mermaids softball league to compete at the event, which will feature 12 teams from across the country.

Their first game is scheduled for Thursday at 8 a.m.

Miscellany

Chaminade High is looking for a boys’ and girls’ track coach.

Ed Croson, the school’s athletic director, said a teaching position might be available, depending on applicant’s qualifications.

Information: 818-347-8997.