NOTES AND QUOTES for a Monday in the Napa Valley:

Miguel Zulueta, Chase Johnson, Chad Patton, James Parker, Todd Nalley and James Gotelli started out the 2009 season as the top six players on the Napa Valley College men’s golf ladder. The Storm finished 14th in a 15-team field at the Stanford Invitational last week at the par-70 Stanford Golf Course.

Zulueta’s round of 77 was the top score for the Storm, a Big 8 Conference team, which will play in 12 tournaments. Johnson (80), Patton (84), Parker (85), Nalley (90) and Gotelli (91) followed.

“It’s a tough golf course, one of the better courses we play,” said coach Jim Wiechers. “I know they can play a lot better than they played at Stanford for sure, because over the fall, they were all playing much, much better.

“In the couple of practice rounds we’ve played, everyone’s played a little bit better.”

Zulueta, a De La Salle High School-Concord graduate, and Johnson, who went to Wood-Vacaville, are both returners. Patton, a freshman who went to Brookings-Harbor, was seventh last year in the Oregon State Tournament.

Parker (Napa), Nalley (Vintage) and Gotelli (Vintage) are freshmen.

Zulueta has established himself as the Storm’s top player.

“Miguel’s a good solid player,” said Wiechers. “He’ll probably be the most consistent player throughout the year.”

Wiechers isn’t looking for a Big 8 title out of this team, but rather a middle-of-the-pack finish.

“They’re a good group of guys,” he said. “I don’t think we’ll be one of the top teams in the conference, but I’d like to see some good improvement.

“If they play up to their potential, then they can be a decent team.”

The Storm practices and plays at local courses, including Silverado Resort, Eagle Vines Vineyards & Golf Club, Chardonnay Golf Club, Napa Golf Course at Kennedy Park, and Vintner’s Golf Club in Yountville.

“It gives them a chance to play different styles of courses,” said Wiechers. “All of the courses in the Valley are all a little bit different with different green speeds.”

Napa Valley’s first Big 8 tournament is Feb. 17 at Teal Bend in Sacramento. Sierra-Rocklin, San Joaquin Delta-Stockton, Santa Rosa, Modesto, American River-Sacramento and Butte-Oroville are other conference members.

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Blaize Boles had one of his best games for William Jessup University, coming off the bench and scoring a team-best 16 points with two 3-point baskets, as the Warriors beat Pacific Union College, 69-62, in California Pacific Conference men’s basketball action in Angwin last week.

Boles, a Justin-Siena graduate, was 5-of-9 from the floor and 4-of-7 at the free-throw line in the game that was played at Pacific Auditorium. The sophomore also had five rebounds with one block and a steal in 21 minutes.

It was the eighth win in a row for Jessup, an NAIA-Division II school from Rocklin. The Warriors came back from a 15-point halftime deficit against Pacific Union.

Aren Rennacker (13 points, three steals), Steven Catalon (12 points, two rebounds), Kameron Barnes (nine points, 13 rebounds, five assists), Josh Jewett (eight points, five rebounds), Andrew Webster (six points), Manny Gonzales (five points, three assists, four rebounds), Brandon Monty (five points, two rebounds), and Tade Adeogun (four points, five rebounds) led Pacific Union.

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Micah Putnam starts her senior year of softball for Cal State Northridge looking to continue a trend that has seen her batting average rise each season since her freshman year.

She hit .279 last year and set new career highs with four home runs, 36 hits and 23 runs scored. Putnam, a Justin-Siena graduate who plays second base, also led the team in sacrifice hits with 11 and was 6-for-7 in stolen base attempts.

Putnam is among six returning starters from last year’s squad that finished 23-24 overall and 12-9 for a third-place finish in the Big West Conference.

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The San Francisco State men’s basketball team got nine points and five rebounds from Ryan Wessels in 19 minutes., but the Gators lost their California Collegiate Athletic Association game Friday night to visiting Sonoma State, 77-63, in the Main Gymnasium.

Wessels is a Vintage graduate who also played basketball at Napa Valley College.

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Sammy Davis, Zach Wagner, Alex Peterson and Matt Scott all played well for Vintage in a 62-41 loss Friday to Wood-Vacaville in Monticello Empire League boys basketball action.

Coach Scott Thom said his team struggled in the first half against Wood’s on-ball pressure.

“We played a lot better in the second half,” said Thom.

Vintage (8-12 overall, 0-6 MEL) has lost eight in a row.

E-mail Executive Sports Editor Marty James at mjames@napanews.com or call 256-2223.