Allen shines at CSUN
By Misty Volaski

Little did Beth Allen know when she joined the Nordhoff boys' golf team at the age of 16 that she would one day win the Big West Women's Golf Championship.

"I'd picked up clubs when I was younger," she said, but didn't get serious until her sophomore year. It's a good thing for Nordhoff that she picked up those clubs, too. As the leading scorer for the women's golf squad at California State University-Northridge, she is making a name for both herself and Nordhoff.

In its first two years of existence, the Nordhoff girls' golf team triumphed over much-larger, more-established teams in the Frontier League, thanks in large part to Allen's consistent play. When Ranger golf coach Dick Sebek saw the need and potential five years ago for a girls' golf team, he knew Beth, who had already been doing well on the boys' team, would join.

"I was decent at golf and he knew he could build a team around me," said Allen. "I got Melody (Shedlosky) and some other girls out there because they were athletic." And the rest is history. Nordhoff enjoyed its best years so far with Beth at the head of the pack. Upon her graduation, the NHS lady golfers took a hard blow but continue to do well in league every year.

As for Beth, she's now a junior at CSUN, and has been on the varsity team for two of her three years as a Matador.

Recently, she came in first at the Big West Women's Golf Championship, posting a 142 to earn her First-Team, All-Big West honors. With a 75.0 stroke average so far and eight top 20 finishes, it's no wonder.

Allen just finished up NCAA regionals, where she shot a five-over-par in three days of play at Arizona State University (par 72). The first day, she shot a 76, but rallied in the next round with a 71, followed by a 74 and an even-par 72 to finish 15th out of a pool of 108 players.
She's got a busy summer, having to find time to visit parents Bob and Carolyn in their new home in San Diego and somehow finding time to golf in a flurry of qualifiers and tournaments that will take her all over the United States - and possibly, the world.

"I might go over to Asia for a month," she said.

So - any pro hopes? "I'm gonna feel it out. I have one more year of school left," Allen said. "I've gotten better every year, so we'll see. I'm gonna get my education, go to grad school. I don't wanna blow everything on golf."

© 2003 The Ojai Valley News

Back to sports

Back to the news