WINNEMUCCA - The final four weeks of the Division I-A North girls golf season is going to be interesting to say the least, if the results of the first three weeks are any indication.
Lowry High School and Elko won the first two tournaments of the year in Fallon and Spring Creek, but the Lady Bucks grabbed the top spot once again, this past Wednesday in South Tahoe, defeating the Indians by two shots.
Lowry shot a 371 on the par-66 Tahoe Paradise Golf Course, while the Indians were second at 373. Spring Creek shot 400, placing third for a third consecutive week. Fernley (424) and Churchill County (461) rounded out the top five, and Truckee (471) and Dayton (484) accounted for the final team scores.
"It was fun to watch," said LHS head coach Andrew Meyer. "It is nice to see the rivalry with Elko kick back up. Even though it was a par-66 course, it played tough. The fairways were narrow and the greens small. Some of their greens were smaller than ours and we have some of the smallest in the state. It was a good test for them."
Elko's Kaily Beatty shot an 80 to claim the low medalist honors, while Lowry's Cortney Kieser was second at 83. Kieser's teammate, Ning Landt, a transfer from Round Mountain, turned in her best finish of the year and tied for third with an 89. Fernley freshman Brittany Evans, who was the low medalist for the first two weeks, also shot 89 to tie with Landt. The Lady Bucks' Alyssa Dendary carded a 90 to place fifth overall.
"Cortney and Alyssa are coming around and their game will be there," said the coach. "They know they can shoot better, but they were both happy after the tournament. The whole team had a good attitude in general. Ning came back and played well after everything she went through in Spring Creek."
After not playing last week, Caitlin Orr had her best outing of the season, with a 109 for the final kept score for the Lady Bucks. Tori Echeverria carded a 111 and Macy Alvarez a 134.
"I think Caitlin earned the MVP for us in the tournament," Meyer said. "She stepped up and shot a personal best for herself. It was nice to see because I know she can do it and she is a player. She is getting more comfortable with the atmosphere."
Lowry is in sole possession of the lead in the Division I-A North standings with 23 points, one ahead of Elko (22). Spring Creek (18) is in third and Fernley (15) is fourth. The top three teams in the final regular season standings advance to the NIAA State Championships at Wildcreek Golf Course in Sparks on Monday, Oct. 15, and Tuesday, Oct. 16.
"We came out of South Tahoe feeling pretty good," Meyer said. "The girls responded after the loss in Spring Creek. The rest of the season is going to be like it was in South Tahoe. A couple of shots can make the difference and this fun for everybody involved."
The Lady Bucks travel to Dayton for a noon tee time on Thursday for its next conference meet.
"If we can have four or five solid scores every week, it will be tough for anybody to keep up with us in the north," Meyer said. "We still have to put it together as a team. The girls have to realize that one or two shots can be the difference in winning or losing a tournament."
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