DIVISION I-A GOLF: Boka, Price lead Crusaders to lead

Andrew Boka is listed as the No. 6 player for Faith Lutheran’s boys golf team. Greg Price is the Crusaders’ No. 5.

But the duo led the way for Faith Lutheran on Monday at the Division I-A state tournament.

Boka shot a 5-under-par 77 on a windy day at Old Greenwood Golf Course in Truckee, Calif., and Price carded a 78 to help Faith Lutheran take the lead after the first round.

The final round tees off at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the The Golf Club at Gray’s Crossing in Truckee.

Faith Lutheran shot 43-over 403 despite struggling on the greens, with Northern Region champion Elko (432) in second place. Pahrump Valley is third at 436 and Boulder City is close behind in fourth place at 438.

“Our scores today represent what we’ve done all year,” Crusaders coach Mark Cheney said. “It exemplifies the team approach to our scores because everyone is contributing. We never know day to day who the low score is going to be. It’s great Andrew can contribute, and he’s doing it in the biggest tournaments of the year.”

Boka, who shot a final-round 77 at Siena to finish sixth in last week’s Southern Region tournament, is part of a group of four players tied for second place behind leader Austin Ancell of Pahrump Valley. Ancell shot 73 despite winds that were gusting up to 30 mph.

Boulder City’s Luke Logan and Kyler Atkinson also are four shots behind, as is Justice Akerson of Fernley. Logan, a senior, won the I-A state title two years ago.

Faith Lutheran’s Charlie Magruder, the defending Division I-A state champion, is tied for seventh with Sierra Vista’s George Kim after each posted a 79.

Faith Lutheran is seeking its second straight team title as the tournament moves to an unfamilar course for the final round.

“Nobody’s played a practice round on (The Golf Club at Gray’s Crossing), but the terrain is similar to (Monday),” Cheney said. “The emphasis will be the same; fairways and greens and course management. It’s very much about positioning and seeing up good angles to greens to set yourself up to putt, hopefully below the hole.”