METRO GIRLS GOLF
Academy dominates in both standings Monday at Arroyo del Oso
Sanchez wins by a shot, team wins by 18
Albuquerque Academy鈥檚 girls golfers owned the day at Monday鈥檚 Albuquerque Metro Championships.
The senior-less Chargers, priming themselves for a run at another Class 4A state title in two weeks at New Mexico Tech in Socorro, put all five of their players in the top 12 at Arroyo del Oso Golf Course as they captured the metro crown by 18 shots over St. Pius.
Sophomore Gabby Sanchez and junior Adelyn Haas, the defending champion, went 1-2 in the individual standings for Academy.
Sanchez shot 5-over 78, a stroke ahead of Haas. Sanchez鈥檚 short game, in particular her putter, which she described as 鈥減retty clutch,鈥� bailed her out on numerous occasions on Monday with up-and-downs.
鈥淢y swing was a little more rough than it usually is,鈥� Sanchez said. 鈥淯sually, my swing is pretty good and my short game is struggling. It was a little bit weird, because it was the opposite.鈥�
It was Sanchez鈥檚 third victory of prep golf鈥檚 wraparound season, which began last fall. She also won the Class 4A state preview event earlier this spring at New Mexico Tech.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so great to be able to win it together as a team,鈥� Sanchez said. 鈥淲e work so hard 鈥� we鈥檙e also like a really close-knit team, which I think is really special about us.鈥�
Academy shot a team score of 327. St. Pius was next, at 345 on a pleasant, slightly breezy day at ADO.
鈥淲e played really well today,鈥� Haas said. 鈥淢aybe not the best that we thought, but we all fought hard to the end. We鈥檝e put in a lot of work and I think it shows.鈥�
Haas won metros last year in a playoff at Ladera Golf Course, and was close to repeating Monday.
鈥淚 left some shots out there, but I was happy with how I finished,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 really happy for Gabby.鈥�
Academy sophomore Abby Chavez was tied for eighth with an 84. Freshman Addison Kiburz and eighth-grader Anabel Haas each shot 86 and were in a group tied for 12th.
With the state tournament looming, it was exactly the kind of team performance the Chargers were looking for as 4A鈥檚 dominant program goes for a sixth straight championship trophy on May 11-12 in Socorro.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e playing to our potential,鈥� Chavez said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e worked really hard for this.鈥�
Olivia Platow, a senior from Rio Rancho who was in the group right in front of Sanchez, was in solid position after she birdied the par-5 11th. She was 2-over and tied with Sanchez for the lead at that point.
But she double-bogeyed the short par-3 12th, needing two shots to get out of a greenside bunker and lipping out her bogey putt. She then bogeyed three of the next four holes. But Platow still finished third, with a 7-over round of 80. (ADO normally plays as a par-72 but was playing as a 73 for the girls on Monday).
Kiana Weirick of Manzano (81) was solo fourth. St. Pius freshman Parker Wilson, La Cueva senior Ryanne Covel and Cleveland junior Senna Altheide tied for fifth, each having shot 83s. Kendall Trujillo of La Cueva, a junior, and Academy鈥檚 Chavez, both with 84s, tied for eighth. Luna Hochenedel, a La Cueva freshman, and Rio Rancho freshman Mari Salas tied for 10th. Each carded an 85.
La Cueva (346) was a shot behind St. Pius in third place. Rio Rancho (355) and Cleveland (383) rounded out the top five.
The boys metro tournament is Thursday at Los Altos.
James Yodice covers prep sports for the Journal. You can reach him at jyodice@abqjournal.com or via X at .
