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City’s prep golf teams struggle at state
Rio Rancho High School’s Olivia Platow tees off Tuesday morning at Twin Warriors. Her rounds of 97-93 were the best of five Rams playing and took her to a tie for 26th place in the field.
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SANTA ANA PUEBLO — For the first time since the 2018 golf season, the City of Vision had three of its four varsity golf teams playing in the state tournament, known this year as the NB3 Foundation State Golf Championships presented by Realty One of New Mexico.
That said, 2024 was nothing like the season six years ago, when the Cleveland High Schools girls were runners-up, the CHS boys were third and the Rio Rancho High School girls placed third — all three bringing home trophies from Pinon Hills Golf Course in Farmington, with only the RRHS boys missing from the field.
In the May 13-14 event at Twin Warriors Golf Club, the RRHS boys finished fifth, the Storm boys were eighth and the Rams girls were eighth; the CHS girls did not qualify for state.
Qualifying as a team for the third time in the last four seasons, after failing to qualify nine seasons in a row, the fifth-place Rams boys carded rounds of 331 and 326, leaving them 47 shots behind team champion La Cueva (311-299), led by repeating state medalist Jake Yrene (71-75).
Senior Payton Black, the son of longtime Rams coach Jason Black, led RRHS with rounds of 81 and 74 to finish in a tie for ninth place.
Rounding out the Rams quintet, with the top four scores used, were Antonio Vialpando (84-81), who tied for 20th; Ethan Lee (84-83; tied for 25th), Gage Sussex-Uphold (82-88; tied for 28th) and Parker Dunn (87-100; 43rd).
Cleveland, with team scores of 355-359, was last in the eight-team field.
Mason Giese (80-83) was 18th to lead the Storm. Rounding out the Cleveland quintet were Zerrik Harrington (85-85; tied for 28th), Logan Bermudez (91-84; 42nd), Luke Wood (99-97; 47th) and Josh Saiz (100-118; 48th).
The Rio Rancho girls (414-405) also finished eighth. Piedra Vista (338-344) won the girls’ championship; the Panthers’ Annie Yost (97-93) was the medalist.
The Rams were led by Olivia Platow (97-93), who finished tied for 26th.
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Also playing for the Rams were Abbey Gilmore (101-100; 33rd), Savanna Kibler-Mirelez (104-107; 36th), Rose McBee (115-105; tied for 40th) and Alani Linthicum (112-122; 45th).
“I was very happy with the way both teams played,” said Jason Black. “The boys finishing fifth with Payton Black finishing ninth is great. The boys were very young and inexperienced, so to make a run like we did, I am very happy.
“Girls are young also, so for them to win district for the first time in 11 years and make it to state is a huge accomplishment,” he added. “Both teams should make a run next year.”
Divots: The Rams boys won state titles in 2005 and ’07; the Storm boys claimed the top spot in 2014 and ’15. The Rio Rancho girls’ best finish was runner-up, where they finished in 2012 and ’13. The Cleveland girls won championships in 2016, ’17 and ’19, when they last qualified for state.
