The City College men’s golf team is in the midst of a promising season fresh off its first tournament win at the Oakmont Country Club.

Many people around the program feel the Vaqueros have the talent and poise to compete for the Western State Conference title and make a run at the state title.

“One of our short term goals was to get our first tournament win, but our ultimate goal is to put it all together and win the state championship,” said sophomore Alex McElhaney, a member of the team.

The next two weeks are important for the Vaqueros because they will help determine the seeding for the conference tournament.

The Western State Conference generally takes two teams to the state tournament; the difficulty is being one of the two best squads in a conference that is teeming with talent.

“Our conference is really deep,” said McElhaney. “But we are confident that we can accomplish our goals.”

The men’s golf program has a rich tradition of success having placed second in state in 2006 under the guidance of Coach Chuck Melendez, who also has roots in baseball and football at City College.

The Vaqueros have a widely talented team in which all 6 golfers are capable of producing low scores and contributing to the team’s success.

“We have a lot of depth. Our 4-6 guys can all go low,” McElhaney said.

The Vaqueros are led by Jesse Ferris, the No.1 golfer in the WSC.

Ferris shot a 6-under-par 66 at a tournament earlier this year at the Valencia Country Club.

In order to keep their skills sharp, the Vaqueros spend as much time as possible on the golf course. They play in average of five days a week for two to three hours a day.

“You have to build your confidence so that in a tournament you are confident,” McElhaney added.

In a sport that emphasizes the individual, the Vaqueros have learned to work together in order to secure victories and accomplishing their goals.

“We want to get the team to win first,” McElhaney said. “You can’t always think individually and succeed.”