WINNEMUCCA - If the Lowry High School boys golf team continues to play like they have in the early part of the season, it's going to be a long year for the rest of the schools in the Division I-A North.
The Buckaroos won their third consecutive tournament in as many starts on Thursday in Fallon. Lowry shot a season best 385 to beat second-place Elko (424) by 39 shots. Spring Creek was a distant third at 442 and Dayton (450) and Churchill County (472) were fourth and fifth, respectively. South Tahoe (482), Truckee (485), Fernley (503) and Sparks (570) rounded out the standings.
"The kids played extremely well," said LHS head coach Andrew Meyer. "It's almost humbling for me. I know they are capable of doing it, but to see it two weeks in a row is pretty impressive. I am very proud of the kids and really not expecting it. This program prides itself on being a dynasty and the younger guys are learning that. The depth of our program is showing itself. Qualifying in practice is tough every week. We have about nine or 10 guys fighting for six spots."
Lowry currently has the top four scoring averages in the Division I-A North and had the top three finishers in Fallon. Ethan Gray was the low medalist with an even-par 72 and Cole Erquiaga, who was playing in his first tournament of the season, was second at 2-over par 74. Chris Mendoza was one of three golfers to shoot 77, but claimed third place on the scorecard tiebreaker. Elko's John Hull and Fernley's Justice Akerson also shot 77.
"Ethan is one of our most consistent guys," Meyer said. "He has been playing well from the start of the season. It is good to see him playing well. Cole has been through a lot the last couple of weeks and he shoots a 78. He hit one out of bounds on the 18th hole, which probably should not have been out of bounds. He probably lost his chance at winning with that shot."
Andy Mendoza was the fourth Buckaroo to shoot in the 70s as the sophomore carded a 78 to finish sixth overall. Chris Dendary shot an 84 and Josh Rose, playing in his first high school tournament, finished with an 89.
"We had four guys shoot in the 70s and some were still unhappy with the way they played," added the coach. "They expect a lot out of themselves every time they are on the course. When we are dropping an 89, we are not going to have any problems. Eight other teams would love to have Josh's score. He finished in the top 15 and we didn't count his score. I was proud of how he came out and played in his first tournament. Nerves are huge for the kids out there and he handled it well."
Lowry has a comfortable advantage in the season-long standings with 27 points. Elko is second with 24 and Spring Creek is third with 21. The top three teams in the final regular season standings advance to the Division I-A state championships at Sierra Sage Golf Course in Reno on Tuesday, May 14, and Wednesday, May 15. Dayton (16) and Churchill County (15) are fourth and fifth, respectively.
"One of the goals of this team is to shoot in the 370s," Meyer said. "I don't want to push them too far. "It is the time in the season that they realize how good they are. I want to keep pushing them for greatness and not settle for what they have done so far."
The league is off for two weeks and returns to action on Wednesday, April 17, at Ruby View Golf Course in Elko at 10 a.m. As it was with the opening week of play, the league will have a doubleheader, as the schools move to Winnemucca on Thursday, April 18, with a 9 a.m. start.
"We have two weeks off before our next meet, but these kids will keep on playing," Meyer said. "The dedication is there and everything is clicking. Even though they won a state championship last year, it really never clicked. These guys have improved from last year and have learned quite a bit about themselves."[[In-content Ad]]
