First-time champs
Cibola’s Nelson overcomes team champ Gila Ridge to win YUHSD individual title Freshman Gerber leads Gila Ridge girls to team title at YUHSD Championship
In nine prior matches involving Gila Ridge, Cibola sophomore Hunter Nelson’s highest career individual finish was second.
On Monday, he finally broke through against the city’s best team.
Nelson shot a 7-over 79 to take first place at the Yuma Union High School District Boys Golf Championship at Mesa Del Sol, where Gila Ridge brought home the team trophy for the second year in a row.
On paper, the Hawks were supposed to produce the individual champ, too. Junior David Ramirez entered the day with the city’s lowest nine-hole scoring average by three strokes (37.2), and teammate Ethan Upayokin (40.2) — a senior, and the reigning Yuma Sun Golfer of the Year — was the only other local golfer with a season average below 41.
But it was Nelson, thanks largely to playing the first six holes of the back nine at 1-under, who pulled away for the individual victory. Upayokin finished three strokes back at 82, while Ramirez and teammate Carlos Vazquez tied for third with 85s.
“I’m very happy,” Nelson said. “I’m trying not to show it. I’m trying to stay as calm as possible, but I’m definitely super happy.”
It’s not as though Nelson came out of nowhere.
Though Gila Ridge — which has likely qualified for the Division II State Championship for the third year in a row — steals most of the local boys golf headlines, Nelson entered Monday with the third-best scoring average in the area (41.2), and he was two weeks removed from firing a career-low 35 in a second-place finish against Gila Ridge and Yuma High on Oct. 3.
“I prepared this week and I felt like I had a good chance of winning,” said Nelson, who tied for fifth at last year’s YUHSD Championship.
Through nine holes Monday, Nelson and Upayokin — who were playing in the No. 1 boys group that also included Kofa junior Austin Copeland (27-over 99) and San Luis senior David Mota (40-over 112) — were tied at 5-over. Nelson then birdied the par-4 10th hole, and after following that up with five consecutive pars, his lead over Upayokin had grown to five strokes.
“Staying calm, not reacting to a shot,” Nelson said of the key to winning. “Just stay relaxed and play my game.”
The 79 brought Nelson’s ninehole season scoring average down
About a year ago, Kylee Gerber went golfing for the first time because her dad needed another person to join his team for a tournament.
“One of his buddies canceled so he was like, ‘Hey Kylee, you know how to play softball, so maybe you can play golf,’” Gerber recalled Monday. “So I went out and I really enjoyed it. And that’s how it started.”
Fast forward a year, and Gerber — now a freshman at Gila Ridge — is the Yuma Union High School District girls golf individual champion.
Gerber edged Cibola senior Isabelle Hernandez by one stroke Monday at the YUHSD Championship at Mesa Del Sol Golf Course, helping Gila Ridge capture the team title for the second year in a row — though the Hawks most certainly would’ve prevailed even without Gerber’s 13-over 86, seeing how they had four other individuals place in the top six.
Gila Ridge junior Caitlyn Grant (90) took third overall, while teammates Kailee Bunte and Jaisyn Wolfe (91s) tied for fourth and Daekyn Brown (98) took sixth.
The Hawks took first as a team with 358, followed by Cibola (475) in second, Kofa (498) in third, Yuma High (561) in fourth and San Luis (564) in fifth.
Hernandez shot a 14-over 87 to come in second. She was even with Gerber through 15 holes, before Gerber took the lead for good with a par on the par-4 16th.
“Honestly, no,” Gerber said when asked if she expected to win. “I just wanted to go out and do my best as much as I could and play my game.”
The showing was a fitting end to what’s been a stellar regular season for Gerber, who didn’t take long to emerge as the No. 1 golfer