Woodburn golf secures four qualifiers for state championships

It’s a cold and dreary Friday afternoon in Woodburn as Dylon Renteria takes swings at the OGA Golf Course.

The junior has an umbrella propped open on the grass, protecting his gear and belongings. His hair is soaked from the day’s downpour. He’s not necessarily dressed for the weather but remains unbothered.

Swing. Swing. Swing.

Renteria is a decent golfer — quite frankly, he likely doesn’t need the extra practice. He could have given in to the elements and enjoyed a warm and dry evening.

But he’s just not wired that way. He’s honest with himself and his performances. He recognized that he hadn’t quite hit his season potential just yet, and with districts approaching in only a few days, Renteria didn’t dare disrupt his rhythm.

“(There’s) not a round yet that I've put everything together,” Renteria said. “But I think heading into districts, I figured some stuff out and I think districts is where I can do that.”

Well, he certainly figured it out.

Renteria is the lone state qualifier from the boys team after he finished tied for third at 151 on Monday, May 6, at the 5A Special District 2 at-large regional tournament at Trysting Tree Golf Club in Corvallis. Renteria was joined on the course by teammate and Bulldog senior Maile Falepaplangi, who finished 28th at 178.

Meanwhile, the girls team boasts three state qualifiers. Senior Hilaria Trevino, an automatic state qualifier prior to districts, finished second at 163, while Neyda Segura finished tied for fifth at 185 and Emma Puente finished 10th at 194. Isabella Kinghorn missed qualifying for state by four strokes, finishing 12th.

The three girls state qualifiers will compete at the 5A golf state championships May 13-14 at Trysting Tree Golf Club while Renteria heads to Quail Valley Golf Course in Banks the same days. Though Renteria will be alone on the boys side, he’s determined to improve upon his 28th finish at state from last season.

“My goal is always to win in everything because I'm so competitive,” Renteria said. “But, realistically, hopefully (I’ll finish) like top-15 to top-10.”

Road to state

Although Renteria has been a member of the golf team since his freshman year, his experience in the sport is relatively fresh.

He had played baseball throughout his youth and planned to continue once in high school. Renteria changed course when former Woodburn golf standout Ty Beyer, who tied for third at the state championships last year, convinced him to go out for the team.

“I was a baseball player and (Beyer) didn’t really have no one on the boys golf team,” Renteria said. “He was like, ‘Just try it one time and if you don’t like it, you don’t have to.’ Then I just stuck to it. I got addicted to it.

“Most of the stuff I know is from him,” Renteria continued. “Seeing what he did, I'm trying to do what he did and leave that same print that he left for me for these other golfers that are on the Woodburn team.”

As Renteria’s infatuation with the fairways quickly grew, so did his time at the OGA Golf Course. While Beyer was the team’s unequivocal leader before graduating, Renteria’s dedication the last two seasons slowly groomed and prepared him to fill the hole left by Beyer.

“He's definitely taking on that role that (Beyer) did last year. He's pushing us to work harder. He's keeping us here later,” Falepaplangi said. “He's working with even the younger kids, the up-and-comers. He's definitely improving their game. I've seen a lot of improvements just from him taking his time working with them doing chipping, putting, all that.”

“He leads differently. He's not as vocal. He definitely leads by example,” Woodburn head coach Neil Wilhelm added. “I think he's bonded really well with (Falepaplangi), and I think that speaks to a lot (Falepaplangi’s) success this year. They got a really good connection there.”

That connection was one forged over a total of three seasons. And while the two couldn’t quite lead the team back to the state championships this season, they’ve reinforced a culture of diligence and joy in the craft.

Because after all, sports are supposed to be fun.

“After we came back from the Seaside tournament, I had my ukulele and I was just kind of jamming out with the boys,” Falepaplangi said. “It wasn’t the best singing, but we were having fun.”

Return to state

While Renteria and Falepaplangi practiced their driver swings on that Friday afternoon, Trevino stuck to the green, working on her putting game.

She a dressed a bit better for the weather, wearing all black and multiple layers. But she, like her male counterparts, remained unfazed.

“We’re out here every day. Rain or shine,” Trevino said. “We only go home if there’s thunder or lighting.”

Trevino and Segura have been part of the girls program since their freshman year. The seniors met in junior league and have been golfing together since, accomplishing an impressive feat of qualifying for the state championships every year of their high school careers.

“There are some experiences that are just shared within teammates, and we know things that people outside of the team and even golf wouldn't know,” Trevino said. “It’s made us close over the years.”

However, it wasn’t quite an instant connection between the two.

“It wasn’t until freshman year where I got her out of her comfort zone to actually talk to me,” Segura said. “We’d golf together but she would not speak to me.”

The days of pure silence golfing between the two are long over. And while they’ve enjoyed plenty of success over the years, both felt the need to emphasize their mental game this season.

“I think you can be good at the game, but it's hard to not let the game get to you,” Trevino said. "I think I've made it a point to be mentally strong and just be sure in what I'm doing.”

“A lot of it for me since freshman year has been my emotional game,” Segura added. “This year, that was kind of the big thing for me: have fun and don't put so much pressure on yourself.”

The focus on the mental aspect has proved fruitful. It might be the difference in whether the two improve upon their state performances from last season, in which Trevino finished 13th and Segura placed 31st.

And for Trevino specifically, the strengthened resolve might catapult her to her best finish since her freshman year.

“It’s kind of over-said but I think I’d be happy if I (could just) play to the best of my ability on those days — end up where I end up,” Trevino said. “I would say I’m kind of shooting for top-10. I think I missed top-10 my first year by one stroke.”