At the annual Optimist National Tournament of Champions, IJGA had an almost perfect sweep of the five categories, winning the Boys and Girls U18, the Boys U15, and the Girls U13, only falling short in the Boys U13.
Joshua Hess won the Boys U18 with a final round of two under par in breezy conditions on the challenging Mission Inn El Campeon course.
Ayana Hiranaka won the Girls U18 with an impressive three under par on the back nine of the Mission Inn Los Colinas course.
Both Josh and Ayana received an invitation to the prestigious Orange Bowl to be played in early January 2025, in Miami.
Ryo Arakawa had an excellent first round of three under par on El Campeon but struggled on his second round but prevailed in the play-off with a birdie on the challenging 18th hole to win the Boys U15.
Eva Wang was never challenged in winning the Girls U13 with a one under par total on the Los Colinas course.
It was a wonderful afternoon for IJGA students, with Nutt Khamkhokgruad also placing third in the Boys U18, Chanelle Mwangi placing third in the Girls U18, and Juan Aliseda placing third in the Boys U15. Congratulations to these exceptional athletes on their performance!
