Fernley qualifies 3 for girls golf state tournament

Robert Perea, The Fernley Reporter

Saving their best performances for last, the Fernley High School girls golf team posted its best finish of the season and had three individuals clinch their trips to next week’s State Meet with strong performances in their final meet of the season in which they fielded a full team.

The Vaqueros placed fourth in the Oct. 5 meet at the Golf Club at Fernley, beating their previous best team score by 21 strokes.

Individually, sophomore Nadia Velasquez had her best scored of the season with a 95, and followed it up with a 97 the next day in South Tahoe, in which the Vaqueros had just three players compete.

That performance moved Velasquez from sixth to third among the at-large qualifiers for the state tournament.

“It always seems to come down to the end and she stepped up her game,” coach Brian O’Neill said.

Velasquez finished with a season average of 109.3 and tallied 18 points in the individual standings, based on placement in each meet, to earn second All-League honors.

She will be joined at state by seniors Teagan Summers and Haeley Diehl.

Diehl finished with a season average of 108, with 11 cup points, while Summers finished with a 110 average and four cup points.

“A good group of student athletes that made great strides as the season progressed,” O’Neill said. “As you well know, golf is not easy and I’m most proud of the seniors whose stroke average has dropped nearly 30 strokes in four years.”

The Vaqueros had eight golfers this year, seniors Diehl and Summers; junior Isabella Dumont; sophomores Velasquez, Ellie Chapin and Ruby Barrett Reese; and freshmen Gaia Yi and Madison Rodriguez.

They played eight tournaments despite having to modify the schedule because of the fires in South Lake Tahoe and schools that were effected by COVID-19.

The 2021 NIAA 3 state girls golf tournament will be held Monday, Oct. 18 at the Canyons Course at Oasis Golf Club in Mesquite, and Tuesday, Oct. 19 at the Palms Golf Club in Mesquite.