Jack Trent, Palo Verde claim Class 4A Sunset Region golf titles
Jack Trent has delivered in pressure situations throughout his high school golf career.
The Palo Verde senior did it again Monday.
Trent birdied the 18th hole to take medalist honors with a 3-under-par 69 and led the Panthers to their second straight team title at the Class 4A Sunset Region boys golf tournament at Siena Golf Club.
Palo Verde shot 372 to win by six strokes over Faith Lutheran, which led for most of the round. Bishop Gorman (395) was a distant third.
The top two teams and the top five individuals from nonqualifying teams advance to the Class 4A state tournament, which takes place May 15 and 16 at Toiyabe Golf Club in Washoe Valley.
“We had some kids step up where one of our seniors didn’t play as well,” Palo Verde coach Todd Steffenhagen said. “And Jack did what he always does. He’s big under the bright lights.”
Trent, a UNLV recruit, birdied both of the par 5s on the back nine and arrived at the par-4 18th tied for the lead with Faith Lutheran’s Charlie Magruder at 2 under.
After watching Magruder leave his second shot some 30 feet below the hole, Trent knocked his approach within 10 feet.
Magruder’s long birdie try lipped out, and Trent then drained his uphill putt for the victory.
Arbor View’s Hazen Newman, playing in one of the later groups, had a chance to tie Trent but could only par No. 18 and tied with Magruder at 2-under 70.
“I knew 2 (under) wouldn’t be enough. I knew that’d be at least a tie,” Trent said. “I saw Charlie leave it just short of that slope and I knew that’d be a hard one to putt. I saw an opportunity to try to get one in there close and make a putt for birdie and see what the other guys were able to do.”
Taga Diallo and Michael Salerno, Palo Verde’s No. 5 and 6 players, each shot 74 to help the Panthers catch Faith Lutheran.
Jared Ramsay shot 71 and was fourth for the Crusaders, who led by as many as nine strokes on the back nine. But Faith Lutheran’s final three scoring players were a combined 11 over par on the 18th hole.
“We gave strokes away from hole 1 through hole 18. It just happens we gave a lot more on 18,” Faith Lutheran coach Mark Cheney said. “We get a second shot, and it’s certainly a learning opportunity for the guys. I told them, ‘You’ll learn more from this than if we won.’ ”
Bishop Gorman’s Mitchell Abbott shot 72 and tied for fifth with Jacob Sherwood of Centennial and Arbor View’s Cameron Gambini. Also qualifying for state as individals were Ryan Handley of Spring Valley and Shadow Ridge’s Mitchell Stark, who each posted 73.
Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.