PETALUMA -- Cal State San Bernardino survived a
pressure-packed final round and playoff Wednesday to
qualify for the NCAA Division II national championship
for the third straight year.
     The Coyotes earned the final qualifying spot out of
the 2008 West-Northwest Super Regional by outshooting
Cal State Stanislaus on the playoff hole after both
teams finished at 881 for three rounds. 
    Sonoma State won the tournament handily with an 861
score with Western Washington second at 873 and Grand
Canyon third at 880. 
    Coyotes sophomore Gene Webster shot a two-under 70
to finish in a tie for second place with a 54-hole
total of 212, one shot back of toiurnament medalist
Ryan Sperry of Grand Canyon. 
    "I had an unfortunate bogey on the 17th hole or I
might have caught him and won," said Webster, who was
the medalist at the 2007 regional. He was seven-under
par for his final two rounds (137) after an opening
75. 
    On the playoff hole, it was five-on-five and the
Coyotes all parred the hole while two Stanislaus
players took double bogey which gave CSUSB the edge. 
    "There was a lot of intensity out there the last
hour as we had four teams competing for two spots. We
weren't sure we were going to make it," said Webster. 
    Webster had four birdies and two bogeys in his
round on the 6,840-yard, par-72 Adobe Creek Golf Club. 
    Senior Bill Clayton played an important role in
the team's fight to the finish, closing out with a
one-over-par 73, one of his lowest rounds of the
season. He was averaging 79 strokes a round this season coming into the tournament.
    Clayton birdied three of the last five holes after
a double bogey at No. 10 and a bogey at 11. He also
birdied No. 4 on the front side to go with two bogeys. 
    Dane Bagnell and Joe Alldis each had birdies down
the stretch on the back nine to help the team stay
close even though both wound up with 76. 
    The national champiuonship runs May 14-17 in
Houston as part of the NCAA Division II Spring Sports Festival.