Owen Wolak
The men’s golf team competed in The Clash, a tournament hosted by Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) Oct. 19-20. Owen Wolak (senior) tied for first against reigning Division III Champion Sebi Aliga of CMS.
Wolak said he loves the intensity of competition.
“The pressure can be somewhat of a privilege,” Wolak said. “If you’re not nervous about the shot you [don’t care]. [We] wouldn’t be nervous if we didn’t want it.”
Wolak said he has strategies to manage the inevitable anxieties that tournament play induces.
“Whenever I’m in a situation where I’m a little nervous and there’s a lot of thoughts, I try to be as present as possible to stay in the moment,” Wolak said. “I think back to the thousands and thousands of hours [of hitting the same shot]. I know how to do it. I always resort back to that when I’m nervous.”
According to swing coach Joe Cano, Wolak’s standout performance at the tournament is a testament to his hard work.
“Owen played very well,” Cano said. “The teams were very strong, with teams ranked top 10 in the country. I was very proud of him for his concentration and his execution.”
Cano said Wolak has always had an aptitude for golf, exemplified by his recent accomplishments.
“When Owen came in his first year, I recognized that he had a tremendous amount of talent,” Cano said. “He’s taken a significant jump from his junior year to senior year. Watching [his improvement] has been nice, [as both] a spectator and [a coach].”
Wolak said his relationship with Cano has grown since his first year at Occidental. Wolak said Cano was helpful to strategize with during the tournament.
“I’ve known Joe for four years now, and he knows my game and he knows me as a person,” Wolak said. “He was really beneficial in both the last hole in regulation and the playoff holes.”
According to Cano, him and Wolak have a collaborative player-coach relationship.
“[Wolak] would ask me to stay with him and talk things out,” Cano said. “I would talk about his options and he would make the best decision on what he felt was the best shot. We work pretty well together as a team, and I really enjoy doing that.”
Cano said that Wolak is capable of channeling his competitiveness this upcoming spring season.
“I know [Wolak] has what it takes to win the tournaments that we have coming up and the championship,” Cano said. “He’s got the talent for it and he’s got the mental fortitude to play well and make good decisions. I look forward to seeing what he can do and helping him achieve those goals in any way I can.”
Diana Reyes-Sanchez
Women’s soccer player Diana Reyes-Sanchez (junior) scored two goals against Redlands during their match Oct. 24, ending in a 3-0 victory for Occidental.
Assistant women’s soccer coach Jimmy Castillo said that Reyes-Sanchez was the winning factor for Occidental.
“[Reyes-Sanchez] without a doubt was the player of the match,” Castillo said. “She had very decisive moments and had really good balance for our team. She was an absolute difference maker in the game.”
According to Castillo, Reyes-Sanchez’s leadership and competitiveness has led to team success.
“[Reyes-Sanchez] is a competitor,” Castillo said. “She always wants to win, and she’s always a good teammate above everything else. She’s a leader to the team this year, especially being in her junior year. She’s developed a really good relationship with her teammates and she’s always pushing [them] to be the very best.”
According to Reyes-Sanchez, the culture on the soccer team has been a tremendous influence on her success and the growth of her self-esteem.
“I struggle with confidence a lot,” Reyes-Sanchez said. “I try to have good relationships with my teammates because they boost me up more than I can boost myself up. Our team feels like a family. We have the best team culture ever.”
Women’s soccer midfielder Jordyn Tribus (senior) said that Reyes-Sanchez is a joy to have on the team.
“[Reyes-Sanchez] is just an incredible player,” Tribus said. “Her work ethic is amazing. She’s [also] one of the sweetest people you will ever meet. She is so kind and grateful to be on a team with us. She’s just an amazing person.”
Reyes-Sanchez said that the team has a playoff deciding match Oct. 31. According to Reyes-Sanchez, the team will have to play with passion in order to beat Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and clinch the playoff spot.
“We all need to bring 110 percent energy,” Reyes-Sanchez said. “The last time we played them, we were a little slow and sluggish. We didn’t take our opportunities and chances when we should have. Now we can really show up and show out.”
*Occidental women’s soccer won 1-0 in their match Oct. 31.
Contact Quinn Godfrey at qgodfrey@oxy.edu
