St. Pius tries to get over the Artesia hump
Bulldogs have edged Sartans past two years in Class 5A
In of course the most friendly, cordial, congenial manner imaginable, the St. Pius girls golf team has had it with Artesia.
Today and Tuesday at Rockwind Community Links in Hobbs, the Sartans and their seniordominated lineup will try to accomplish what they were unable to do the last two Mays: topple Artesia at the Class 5A state golf tournament.
The Bulldogs beat St. Pius by a single shot last year at Canyon Club. Artesia beat the Sartans in a playoff for the title two years ago. Both losses were excruciating.
“We are super motivated,” said St. Pius senior Cindy Herrera, who tied for fifth at state last year at Canyon Club. “This is our last chance to get it done.”
The state tournaments begin in three cities today: Hobbs, Farmington (which is hosting Class 6A) and Albuquerque. Canyon Club has the Class 1A-4A event.
Rockwind is a new venue for state, and a course that Artesia — which returns its top four players from the squad that won a blue trophy in 2017 — will certainly be more familiar with than St. Pius.
St. Pius has never won a state championship in girls golf. The Sartans’ Ashlee Garrett is the defending state champion.
Artesia is also the defending 5A boys champion. Los Lunas senior Chesten Browning was the individual winner a year ago, and teammate Dylan Gonzales was the runner-up. He,
too, is back this season. Aidan Thomas of St. Pius was third last year and he should be a factor as well.
CLASS 6A: Piedra Vista’s boys are prohibitive home favorites after losing a state title last year because of a disqualification following the signing of an incorrect scorecard on Day 2 in Roswell.
Tricky, hilly Piñon Hills is the host site this week.
Cleveland and defending state champion La Cueva are close to co-favorites in a girls team race that has only four teams, including Clovis and Rio Rancho. Storm junior Jacque Galloway (committed to the University of Iowa) won by 14 shots last year over teammate Lexi Gutierrez in Roswell, and is chasing her third consecutive state title individually. Her older sister, Dominique, won the three big-school titles before that.
The Panther boys are hoping there won’t be any hiccups to derail their chances this year. Most of last year’s squad is returning. And they remember that somber six-hour bus ride home from Roswell 12 months ago. That mistake led to Cleveland becoming the state champion.
“I’ve got the six most motivated kids,” Piedra Vista coach Tom Yost said. “(But) these boys know that they can’t just show up and someone will hand them a state championship. They’re focused and they’re where they need to be (mentally).”
Manzano’s Bowen Davis, who placed third last year, is certainly among the individual favorites, along with the junior Diehl brothers from Piedra Vista, Trey (tied fifth last year) and Tyler (solo fourth last year), also in that chase, plus Cleveland’s Alejandro Armijo, the recentlycrowned metro champion who tied for seventh a year ago at state, and Rio Rancho’s Santiago Almaguer.
La Cueva’s girls are led by steady junior Tori Jamharian and freshman Eleanna Caris. Sophomore Kennedi Rose, who was fourth last season for the
Bears at the state tournament, only recently returned to the lineup for the first time this spring after being sidelined with an illness.
CLASS 1A-4A: St. Michael’s girls and Hope Christian’s boys are defending state champions, although last year’s event at Piñon Hills was cut short by weather and it became an 18-hole rather than 36-hole tournament.
Hope is one of only four teams in the event. Carissa Padilla of St. Michael’s is back to defend her girls’ title.
Tee times at all three courses begin at 8 a.m. today and run until about 9:30.