Vaqueros seeking first state golf championship

Robert Perea, The Fernley Reporter

The Fernley High school boys golf team will tee off in the NIAA 3A State Championship meet Tuesday in pursuit of the school’s first ever team state championship.

The Vaqueros enter the tournament as the No. 1 team from the North, and are led by junior Jacob Holmes, the North’s No. 1 individual.

The Vaqueros were the league’s most consistent team, winning one of the six meets and finishing tied for first two other times, never finishing below third. They finished with 48 team points, one ahead of Truckee and five in front of Elko.

He league was extremely competitive this season, with three different teams winning at least one meet, and another finishing tied for first twice.

Individually, Holmes was the low medalist twice and tied for low medalist two other times. His lowest finish was a tie for second. He finished with a season average of 78.2 and 74.5 cup points, with a low round of 72 and a high of 85.

Landon Esquivel of Lowry finished second with a season average of 83 and 60 cup points.

Junior Noah Davis, senior Caden Stanger and sophomore Luke Stanger round out our top four for the Vaqueros. Davis finished sixth in the league with an average of 85.2. Caden Stanger was ninth in the league with an average of 87.5 was the team’s fourth leading scorer with an average of 93.0.

Teams can play as many as six players in each meet, and the top four scores determine the team score.

The State Meet is Tuesday and Wednesday at the par-72 Toiyabe Golf Club in Washoe Valley. The first players will tee off at noon Tuesday and at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Fernley has never won a team state championship in either boys or girls golf. Two Fernley players have won individual state championships, Carrie Michaelsen in 1995 and Brandon Dalton in 2008.