CCS boys, Texico girls entrenched in second place

ALBUQUERQUE – Clovis Christian’s boys and Texico’s girls were sitting second after the first round of the two-day Class 1-3A state golf tournament at Canyon Club at Four Hills.

While both have some breathing room over the rest of the field, suffice it to say each had more than its work cut out trying to move up in Tuesday’s final round.

CCS shot a four-man score of 354, leaving the Eagles 40 shots behind defending champion Mesilla Valley. They were seven strokes ahead of third-place Socorro.

“I think that’s the battle for tomorrow – who gets second place,” CCS coach Trent McKay said.

Meantime, the Lady Wolverines shot 449 and trailed Socorro (394) by more than 50 shots. East Mountain was resting in third place at 473.

Junior Noah McKay, the coach’s son, led the way for the Eagles at 46-38 – 84, leaving him tied for fifth individually with Mesilla’s Aydan Muro. The SonBlazers had four of the top six scores for the day, including leader Logan Morris at 2-over 74.

Playing the front nine last, Trent McKay could’ve been a bit closer to the top, but he couldn’t find his tee shot on the second-to-last hole. Trent McKay said Noah thought he’d hit the ball out-of-bounds and took a second tee shot, only to find his first one later in the fairway.

That cost him a stroke plus a two-stroke penalty.

All five Eagles shot 93 or better, but they couldn’t keep up with Mesilla Valley. Coach McKay said the Eagles, 2021 champions in 1-3A, are about where they were when they finished second to the SonBlazers last season.

“If we can kind of replicate last year, we’ll be all right,” he said.

Junior Kaprix Foote, CCS’ lone girls representative, shot a first-day score of 67-64 – 131.

Texico’s girls had two players in the top eight after the first round – junior Liz Elam, tied for fifth at 46-55 – 101, and freshman Sophie Schaap, eighth at 53-51 – 104. Socorro’s Tivonne Anaya was the first-day leader at 91.

Class 5A – At Twin Warriors Golf Club, Clovis High senior Jolei Adkins was in a three-way tie for 16th on the girls side after a first-round 91. Piedra Vista’s Annie Yost had a four-stroke lead heading into Tuesday after shooting 3-under-par 69.

La Cueva shot a team score of 323 for a three-stroke lead over Centennial. Despite Yost, Piedra Vista found itself a distant third at 352.

Clovis’ lone boys representative, junior Jett Stone, posted a first-day score of 44-47 – 91, tied with Justen Martinez of Los Lunas for 42nd place.

Wildcats coach Dale Fullerton said Stone had to take a two-stroke penalty because of an unplayable lie on one hole, and four-putted another. “If you take that out, he could’ve been in the low 80s,” Fullerton said.

La Cueva, paced by individual leader Jake Yrene’s 3-under 69, shot a first-round 313 for an eight-stroke margin over Piedra Vista.

Class 4A – Portales High’s lone representative, junior Paige Yazzie, shot 55-50 – 105 at Santa Ana Golf Club and found herself in a three-way tie for 38th after the first day.

Team leaders were Deming for the boys at 294 and Belen for the girls at 341. Individual leaders were Deming’s Tyler Jackson for the boys and Belen’s Rylee Salome for the girls, both at 1-under 71.