WINNEMUCCA - With the season quickly coming to an end, the Lowry High School boys golf team is all business when it comes to the state championships next week.
The Buckaroos have not lost a tournament since the 2011 season and are looking to claim their third state title in four years in just a handful of days at Sierra Sage Golf Course in Reno.
After taking two weeks off, Lowry was back in action at Lake Tahoe Golf Course in South Tahoe on Thursday, May 2, for a Division I-A league meet.
The time off didn't affect the Buckaroos, as they shot a team score of 391 on the par-71 course. Spring Creek jumped to second with a 414 and Elko was third at 424. Fernley (460) and South Tahoe (461) rounded out the top five.
"It's tough to get in a groove with the off weeks, but it is nice that we are playing back-to-back tournaments," said LHS head coach Andrew Meyer. "It will help us when it comes to the state tournament, when you have to play 36 holes in two days. I was pleased with the 391 we shot. The course was challenging. That will be a good score for the first day of state. It will be a good goal for the kids to shoot at."
The Buckaroos' Andy Mendoza ran away from the field with an even-par 71 to win low medalist honors. That was the best round of the year for the sophomore, as he won by eight shots.
"Andy really stepped up for us," Meyer said. "That is a good round for him and I know he is capable of going that low. What I am noticing is if someone has an off day, another guy is there to pick them up."
His brother, Chris Mendoza, and fellow teammate Chris Dendary each shot 79 for Lowry. Elko's Jon Hull also shot a 79.
The Buckaroos' Cole Erquiaga was fifth overall with a round of 80, while Ethan Gray shot 82. Josh Rose rounded out the scores for Lowry with a 91.
"My seniors (Dendary and Erquiaga) are coming around at the right time," added the coach. "They have been here before and
- See GOLF, Page 12 -
(Cont. from Page Eight)
know what to expect. Ethan was not happy with his score, but a bad day for Ethan is shooting an 82. He will be OK. I just don't want to put a lot of pressure on the guys. We just need to have the right mental approach as we get ready to go to state."
Lowry, Elko and Spring Creek will represent the Division I-A North at the NIAA State Golf Championships at Sierra Sage Golf Course in Reno on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Heading into the final tournament of the regular season, which was played at Old Greenwood on Thursday in Truckee, Lowry held a seven-point lead over Elko (54-47). Spring Creek was third with 43 points.
Currently, the Buckaroos have top four golfers in the Division I-A North in terms of scoring average. Gray leads the way with a 76.2, Andy Mendoza is second at 77.2 and Erquiaga (78.3) and Chris Mendoza (79) are third and fourth, respectively.
"That is a pretty neat accomplishment there," said the coach. "I let them know during practice where they are at and see what they can do at Old Greenwood. They are close enough to each other, where those averages can change."
Lowry stepped out of league play on Friday, May 3, with a 17-team tournament at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline. The Buckaroos won with a team score of 398, while Elko was second at 433.
Erquiaga finished second overall with a 3-over par 75 on the challenging course that has played host to a U.S. Senior Open as well as the annual American Century Celebrity Golf Championship. White Pine's Ty Pickel was the low medalist at 74.
Gray tied for third as he shot 77, Dendary was sixth overall at 78 and Chris Mendoza made it four Lowry golfers in the top nine with an 82 to place ninth. Andy Mendoza and Rose finished tied for 16th with rounds of 86.
"That was a great score for being at Edgewood," Meyer said. "To have four guys in the top nine in a 17-team tournament was impressive. Josh got his first taste of real competitive golf and I think he did fine. Cole played a good round and he said he left some putts out there. A 75 on that course is still pretty good. My top six for state are set. They are playing the best right now."
Tee times for the NIAA State Golf Championships will be announced this weekend, following the Thursday tournament in Truckee. Boulder City, Faith Lutheran and Pahrump Valley will represent the Division I-A South.
On the same trip to South Tahoe and Edgewood, Lowry was able to get a round of golf in at Sierra Sage. The coach said the team played fairly well on the course that will host the state championships.
"Sierra Sage has small greens like we do, which is a plus," Meyer said. "It is a fairly wide-open course, but you can find trouble in the sagebrush. We are going to work quite a bit on our short game and get ready for those smaller greens. The confidence is building and they know what is at stake. If I could find a way or a potion to relieve the pressure of going to state, I would be giving it to them by the gallon. I am still confident with our guys. I am proud of our guys. We have had some ups and downs. We have a very competitive team. Any team would love to have these guys on their team."
[[In-content Ad]]
