SOUTHERN SECTION NORTHERN DIVISIONAL GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP: HART BREEZES, OAK PARK EDGES FOUR OTHERS.

Byline: RAMONA SHELBURNE Staff Writer

CAMARILLO -- There was no surprise atop the leader board at the Southern Section Northern Divisional championships Tuesday afternoon at Sterling Hills Golf club in Camarillo.

Hart of Newhall was the best program in the area all season and backed that up with an impressive 4-over-par 359 to secure a berth in the Southern Section team championships Thursday at Hunter Ranch Golf Course in Paso Robles.

The Indians had three players -- UCLA-bound senior Jason Kang, Mike Degrieff and Johnny MacArthur -- shoot 1-under 70s to lead the way.

The drama came as five teams battled for the second, and final, spot in Thursday's team championship.

Oak Park did just enough to eek out the second spot with a 375, led by sophomore Alex Kang's 3-under 68, the best individual score of the day.

Harvard-Westlake of Studio City, Oaks Christian of Westlake Village, Loyola of Los Angeles and St.Bonaventure of Ventura all came up one stroke short, finishing in a four-way tie for third at 376.

``I don't think I've ever seen five teams finish within a stroke of each other,'' Oak Park coach Bruce Beck said. ``I knew we could do something like this. We've been up and down all year. We've shot in the 420s and the 370s. But this is what the boys' are capable of.''

Oak Park, which started two juniors, three sophomores and a freshman Tuesday, has qualified for the team championship only one other time, in 2000, when their finished 16th out of 16 teams.

All of Oak Park's five scorers shot under 80. No. 3 player Ben Howard shot a 75, No. 5 Chris Severn shot a 76 and No. 4 Cole Pensanti shot a 77.

Valencia, ranked No. 2 by the Daily News, had an off day and finished with a 383.

Mike Gideon of Quartz Hill was one of only five players to come in under par. Gideon shot a 70.