WINNEMUCCA - If you think of golf hotbeds in Nevada, Winnemucca might be the last place people would look to.
However, Lowry High School is making the state think twice about that notion after winning its record 12th state championship last week at Sierra Sage Golf Course in Reno. The 12 titles are six more than any other school in Nevada.
The Buckaroos overcame a one-stroke deficit to Faith Lutheran on the first day of the tournament on, Tuesday, May 14, to shoot a two-day total of 786 to best the Crusaders by 21 shots. It was the first time Lowry trailed in a meet in two years.
For Lowry, it was its second consecutive state title and third in four years. The Buckaroos have finished first or second in the last five state championships.
"I can't be more proud of the boys," said LHS head coach Andrew Meyer. "Every one of our guys, except one, hit in the sagebrush off their first hole on the first day. That was tough to watch. The whole thing was tough to watch. It was nerve-wracking and exciting at the same time. You want them to do good. I was out there doing my best to calm them down."
The Buckaroos trailed by 21 shots to Faith Lutheran after both teams completed their front nine on day one. Lowry rallied to cut that deficit to one stroke by the end of the day.
"I let a couple of my strong mental players know where we were at," Meyer said. "I told them we need to pick it up a little bit. Those guys brought it right back around. I don't think they realize how big of a comeback they made until I let them know after the round. When we got in the Suburban and left the course after day one, it felt like we were leading by 50. We gained a lot of momentum."
The 36-hole score by the Buckaroos was the best in school history and 30th best score in state history, regardless of classification. Faith Lutheran, who shot a 413 on Wednesday, finished with a total of 807.
Boulder City was third at 826, Elko placed fourth at 844 and Spring Creek (893) and Pahrump Valley (902) were fifth and sixth, respectively.
"The Faith Lutheran kids were tough," added the coach. "They are smart golfers that make good decisions. It came down to course management and keeping the ball in play. The wind came up pretty good on the second day and we handled it well. There was a lot of speculation about all the southern teams coming into the league. A lot of people doubted Lowry, and I almost felt like we were the underdog. I am sure Faith Lutheran will be gunning for us next year."
Boulder City's Luke Logan was the individual medalist with a 5-over par 146. Lowry's Ethan Gray shot an even-par 71 on Wednesday to finish second at 148. Virgin Valley's Kadan Atkin was third at 149 and Elko's Jon Hull was fourth at 153. Lowry's Chris Dendary shot a 72 on Wednesday to place fifth overall at 156 and teammate Cole Erquiaga tied for sixth at 158.
"To see Chris shoot a 72 in his final 18 holes as a high school golfer was one of the coolest things to see," Meyer said. "There is not a better way to end your high school career. He wasn't too happy after shooting an 84 on the first day. Ethan had a great tournament and was our most consistent guy all year. His 71 was the best round of the entire tournament. If Ethan had some putts go in he would have shot 65. If Cole got a few more putts to drop he would have been right in the hunt as well. It was good for Chris and Cole to go out with three championships in four years."
The Buckaroos' Chris Mendoza tied for eighth at 159, Andy Mendoza was 18th with a 168 and Josh Rose tied for 19th at 169.
"We got help from everyone on the team," said the coach. "It was big for Josh to shoot that 81 on the first day. I probably caught some flak for the team I played, but I went with six I thought was the best for us at state and for the future. I wanted this one more than last year. I wanted it for the kids and my two seniors. Not bad for a bunch of kids that play on a nine-hole municipal course. We are truly a dynasty and I am happy to be a part of it. It is amazing to see the program we have in Winnemucca. We have great support from the town and the course we play on. I have some the best parents and support staff out there that make it easy for me."
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