Lewis and Clark senior Amanda Nguyen claims district title with 8-under 65

Lewis and Clark High senior Amanda Nguyen has been tweaking her swing for the last week, specifically working on her driver.

Turns out all she needed was sage advice from her dad about 15 minutes before teeing off Tuesday in the final round of the District 6 4A tournament at Downriver Golf Course.

“I was sort of having trouble with my long game (during Monday’s 77), mostly with my driver,” Nguyen said. “I made sure I was really focused while I warmed up and my dad gave me some last-minute advice. He told me to go back to the range and hit a few more drives and that really boosted my confidence. Everything sort of clicked in the round.

“He usually doesn’t do that. He’s very supportive and he knows I’ve been struggling with my game.”

Nguyen proceeded to make nine birdies and shoot a career-best 8-under 65 to earn the district title by 16 shots over Kamiakin’s Avery Beck and 17 over Gonzaga Prep’s Lisette Durkin.

“Usually, it was just a good drive, good approach, land within 6 feet or so of the hole and try to knock it in,” said Nguyen, a three-time Greater Spokane League Player of the Year. “My driver was much better.”

She made a couple of longer putts, but most were inside 10 feet, including a slippery 4-footer on No. 18 to cap a 5-under 32 on the back nine.

“Definitely the most memorable putt was the last one with my team watching,” Nguyen said. “Four feet above the pin, sloping putt, but I drained it.”

GSL champion Gonzaga Prep won the team title with a two-round score of 665. Kamiakin (691) held off LC (702) for the second spot to state. Nguyen and the top seven players not on state-bound teams also secured a state berth.

Nguyen wasn’t the only one to make significant improvement after the first round. Durkin lowered her score by 13 shots with a second-round 73. Among her teammates, Maira Frank (165) tied for fourth, Bayler Fix (170) took seventh and Reece Fix (171) was eighth.

In the boys tournament, G-Prep’s Dillon Schrock (69-136) birdied the last two holes to force a playoff with LC’s Michael Pirrie (68-136). Schrock won the title on the second playoff hole.

Lewis and Clark rallied past Gonzaga Prep to take the team title. Both teams qualified for state.

The State 4A tournaments will be held Tuesday and Wednesday with the girls at Eagle’s Pride Golf Course in DuPont and the boys at the Golf Club at Hawks Prairie in Lacey.

District 6 3A

Cheney sophomore Ryan Howe grabbed the first-round lead for boys with a 1-under 71 at Horn Rapids in Richland. Howe had four birdies and three bogeys to take a three-stroke lead into Wednesday’s final round. Howe is followed by Walla Walla’s Nile Dumser (74), North Central’s Teigen Brill (75) and Cheney’s Justin Krasselt (75).

GSL champion Cheney is atop the team standings with an 18-over 306, followed by Ridgeline.

The Ridgeline girls opened with a score of 337, good for a 21-shot lead over second-place Southridge. Cheney (393) is fourth.

Natalie Cannell (71) of Hermiston (Oregon) holds a four-shot lead over Ridgeline’s Carolyn Rose (75). Rose birdied two of the first three holes.

Ridgeline’s Reagan Rothley (84) is in fourth place and teammates Chloe Hamilton (88), Morgan Quesnell (90) and Kate Mulligan (91) are in sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively.

District 6 2A

Melia Cerenzia cruised to the girls district title, shooting 3-over 75 after Monday’s 73 at Latah Creek. The West Valley junior won by 30 shots over Pullman’s Faith Simpson (93-85). Cerenzia was 3 over on the front side but came home with an even-par 36, including on birdie on No. 18.

Joining Cerenzia and Sampson at state next week at Tumwater G.C.: Brooklyn Ingram (West Valley), Alanis Bobo (Pullman), Emma Bobo (Pullman), Erin Kanrilak-Wolf (Deer Park) and Camryn Chapman (Deer Park)

Pullman’s boys, led by medalist Trae Fredrickson, claimed four of the top six spots. Fredrickson was 2 under on the back nine to finish with a 2-over 74 and a two-round 149, one stroke ahead of teammate Parker Legreid (73-77).

Deer Park’s Christopher Yohe (156) took third, followed by Pullman’s Parker Lee (158), East Valley’s Brady Flahavin (165), Pullman’s Karsen Dunlap (166), West Valley’s Ryder Saville (170), Deer Park’s Landon Cowin (170) and East Valley’s Teegan Martinez (170).

Idaho state tournaments

4A: Bonners Ferry’s Eli Blackmore tied for sixth place after a second-round 84 to go with Monday’s 77 at Clear Lake Country Club in Buhl. Timberlake shared sixth with Sugar-Salem.

Kimberly, led by individual champion Wyatt Wiliams (68-76), captured the team title .

Timberlake’s Malia Miller (97-87) took seventh among girls. Nolie Hyatt and Sydney Hinthorn finished 15th and 16th, respectively, leading Bonners Ferry to sixth place.

3A: Priest River’s Paityn Yount tied for 11th and Genesis Prep (Post Falls) took 11th in the girls tournament. Ashley Von Behren (79-76) won medalist honors and guided Ambrose to the team championship.