SUNSET REGION: Crusaders top Arbor View by one shot

Five years ago, Faith Lutheran’s girls golf team missed qualifying for the state meet by one stroke despite having the top two golfers at the Class 3A Southern League tournament.

The Crusaders found themselves on the other side of the same divide Wednesday at the Class 4A Sunset Region tournament at Mountain Falls in Pahrump.

Faith Lutheran’s Annie Freman and Brianna Becker finished in a three-way tie for second at 3-over-par 75 with Arbor View’s Kiley Ballew, helping the Crusaders to a 340-341 win over second-place Arbor View. Both teams advanced to the state tournament, which begins Monday at Hidden Valley in Reno.

“Five years ago, we missed out going to state in the same situation: three teams separated by one stroke apiece. It’s exciting to be on the positive end of that this time around,” Faith Lutheran coach Mark Cheney said.

The Aggies nosed out Bishop Gorman for the second team berth to state. Gorman shot 342 to miss advancing by one stroke.

Arbor View senior Alyssa Ballew was the individual champion, posting the only sub-par round with a 1-under 71.

“I never really thought it would happen,” Ballew said of the Aggies’ first team appearance at state. “But seeing it happen, I’m so happy.”
Ballew trailed younger sister Kiley by one stroke at the turn but made eight pars and a birdie, on the 163-yard, par-3 14th, to claim the win.

“I was kind of nervous, hoping we’d go as a team for the first time ever,” Ballew said. “But I didn’t have that many nerves, because I knew that the other girls would come in with good scores and we could get there.”

Ballew was more concerned with holding off her sister, who took home a fourth-place medal after a scorecard playoff.

“I really didn’t want little sister beating me,” Ballew joked.

She shot only one bogey — on the first hole — but made up for it with a birdie on both the front and back nine.

Freman carded six bogeys but sprinkled in three birdies — including a birdie-bogey-birdie stretch to end the front nine — to claim second place on a scorecard playoff.

“I just told myself, 'All things are possible,’ and as long as I have that determination, I know I can shoot well,” Freman said. “Sometimes I’m just a head case, and then I just have to work on my mental game. And then I’m good.”

Gorman’s Melissa Cayne (79) and Allie Arguello (85), Cimarron-Memorial’s Ariana Bryant (84) and Aspen Bryant (87) and Spring Valley’s Julia Graham (81) qualified for state individually.

Sunset Region Girls Tournament
At Mountain Falls (par 72)
Team Scores

x-Faith Lutheran    340
x-Arbor View    341
Bishop Gorman    342
Cimarron-Memorial    387
Palo Verde    389
Centennial    393

Top Individuals

Alyssa Ballew, Arbor View    71
Annie Freman, Faith Lutheran    75
Brianna Becker, Faith Lutheran    75
Kiley Ballew, Arbor View    75
x-Melissa Cayne, Gorman    79
x-Julia Graham, Spring Valley    81
x-Ariana Bryant, Cimarron    84
x-Allie Arguello, Gorman    85
x-Aspen Bryant, Cimarron    87
Katie DeJesus, Gorman    89
Nicolette Rivera, Gorman    89
Darlene Raymond, Desert Oasis    89
Kelly Horrell, Gorman    90
Sarah Paravia, Faith Lutheran    90
Kellie Busse, Cimarron    90
Susie Kresge, Legacy    91
JoJo Tice, Gorman    91
Julia Pilarski, Palo Verde    91
Kelly Watkins, Palo Verde    93
Sierra Fitzgibbons, Pahrump    94

x-state qualifier