Second chance nearly pays off for Cimarron

Nick Christensen

Thursday, Oct. 14, 2004 | 9:12 a.m.

The Sunset Region girls' golfers hit the links again at Boulder City Municipal golf course on Wednesday, and after about two hours of play, Palo Verde's second-place lead over Cimarron-Memorial was starting to shrink.

Play had been suspended because of darkness on Monday, and per Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association regulations, the tournament was called based on the nine-hole totals. But the NIAA on Tuesday told the golfers to finish up on Wednesday and count the 18-hole totals.

After Monday's play, Palo Verde held a three-stroke lead against Cimarron, and as the scores came in on Wednesday, it was starting to look as though Cimarron had overcome that deficit.

But despite medalist Mackenzie Mack's 3-under-par 69, the Spartans couldn't hold on to a lead, and Palo Verde won second place. Again.

"I knew we were pretty strong," Panthers coach Peggy Lair said. "Everyone I talked to did a little worse. I said, 'Just play your best.' I'm glad we took second both ways. I hope this gets worked out so this doesn't have to happen again."

As medalist Mack tried to feign a smile after her team's defeat, Cimarron coach John Nelson tried to make light of the situation, and cheer up his star.

"It's like a basketball game. You'd rather be blown out," he said. "My girls played really well. It's all in the experience. They'll be back."

Palo Verde finished 60 strokes behind champion Bishop Gorman.

Individual scores weren't so stable. Centennial's Alex Borcherts initially did not qualify for the group of the top five golfers that advance to the state tournament. After Wednesday's play, she bumped Cimarron's Kelsey Voit out of that group of five, shooting an 84, better than Voit's 92.

The NIAA decided to invite Voit to the state tournament anyway. They will also take the sixth individual golfer from the Sunrise Region, Green Valley's Stephanie Bird, and from the Northern Region, Spanish Springs' Lindsay Crew.

Voit said she had no idea she was going to get an invitation.

"I thought they were only taking five people. It was scary," she said. "I was happy that I got to go. I didn't think I was going to have a chance."

The NIAA will also award duplicate medals to overall top-five finishers who did not finish in the initial top five. Palo Verde's Mandi Incorvaia jumped from seventh to third with a score of 79. Bishop Gorman's Shannon Wong initially finished fifth, but did not finish in the top five with her score of 85. Three girls -- Gorman's Angelica Wright, Shadow Ridge's Amy Phalajivin, and Centennial's Borcherts -- all scored 84 to tie for fifth.