Loughney lifts Durango to state golf title

Spencer Patterson

Friday, May 19, 2000 | 9:52 a.m.

First-year Durango boys golf coach Bob Barnett remembers the first time he met sophomore Chris Loughney.

"He came into my office and said, 'Hi, I'm Chris Loughney. I'm the one that lost state for us last year,' " Barnett said.

Loughney was referring to the 1999 4A State Golf Championships, where the Trailblazers sat tied with Galena after the top five golfers from each team finished the two-day, 36-hole event.

The tiebreaker? The scores of each squad's sixth golfer -- with the Grizzlies' Andy Johnson edging Loughney by seven strokes to give Galena the title.

On Thursday, Loughney exorcised those demons, helping Durango to its first state title at Henderson's DragonRidge Golf Club by completing a two-round score of 150 (74-76) -- the third-best overall score in the 59-golfer field.

"Last year motivated him to improve, which he did," Barnett said. "From the beginning, all the conversation was only about winning state this year, and he was a big key to that today."

The Trailblazers finished with a team score of 776, four strokes better than Bonanza and eight ahead of Green Valley. Durango avenged losses to the Gators during the regular season and in last week's Southern Zone Championships.

"State was our main goal," said Blazers senior Randy Creighton, who finished tied for sixth overall with a 151 (77-74). "We've won zone the last two years, and we haven't gotten a win at state.

"I love winning it in my last year. I didn't buy a class ring because I knew we would get state championships ring sooner or later," Creighton added.

The Trailblazers also got a fourth-place finish from sophomore Mitch Carlson (150) and a solid round of 153 from junior Chad Fosburg, last week's Southern Zone champion. But most of the talk focused on Loughney and his comeback from last year's disappointment.

"My teammates were really supportive, but to this day I blame myself," Loughney said. "I wanted this so badly. I was just thinking about the team winning, and I couldn't have done it without my teammates."

Bishop Gorman senior Mark Leseberg took home the individual state title, besting Bonanza junior Dana Wade in a two-hole playoff for the championship.

Playing in the same group on Thursday, Leseberg and Wade finished with scores of 149 and were in a draw after the first sudden-death playoff hole.

On the second extra hole, Wade sliced his tee shot into the desert. The ball was not recovered, putting Wade a stroke behind. Leseberg birdied the hole to claim the trophy.

"Last year, I told my coach I was going to win the state championship and I did it," Leseberg said. "The whole group was close all day. It's too bad for (Wade). He's a very good player and a great guy. I wish it could have gone another way."