DON McDERMOTT / PVT The Pahrump Valley High School girls golf team claimed its third straight Nevada Class 3-A state championship Tuesday, at Palm Valley in Sun City Summerlin. On the team are (from the left) coach Julie Floyd, Jasper Biggs, Courtney Salmon, Ashley Keller, Meghan Morales, Sierra Fitzgibbons, assistant coach Bob Hopkins and Hailey Forry. The girls shot 960 over 36 holes, beating Mesquite Virgin Valley, at 976. In addition, Pahrump Valley, for the second straight year, won the Allstate Academic Award with a 3.73 GPA. Advertisement

SUMMERLIN -- Nevada's Class 3-A girls golf teams won't have Pahrump Valley to kick them around anymore.

For the third consecutive year and for the fifth time in the last 10 years, the Lady Trojans won the state championship, in an emotional farewell to Class 3-A competition.

The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association, and not any opposing team, ended the PVHS domination in 3-A girls golf. The NIAA realignment committe decided in October that Pahrump Valley will move to Class 4-A in the 2008-2009 school year.

There was no bitterness, only smiles in the PVHS camp, that included several fans who made the trip to Del Webb's Sun City complex Tuesday to watch the coronation of the Lady Trojans.

Julie Floyd, who has coached all five state championship teams, was ecstatic.

"I didn't want our girls to be second to anybody in this tournament," said Floyd, fighting back tears. "They have all stepped up and did a great job this season." The team experienced only one loss along the way, bowing to Mesquite Virgin Valley in a regular-season Southern League match two weeks ago.

Pahrump Valley edged the Bulldogs 477-478 in the regionals, played in Mesquite at The Palms. In the state tournament played on a par 72, 5,502-yard course Monday and Tuesday, the Lady Trojans shot 473-487--960 to beat the Bulldogs' 498-478--976.

Incline, which for the second straight year had Caitlyn Wright emerge as the medalist, was third with 533-516--1,049. Winnemucca Lowry, once a perennial contender for state 3-A honors, was fourth with 544-506--1,050. Battle Mountain, a Class 2-A Northern League member, had 539-546--1,085, while Class A Wells, which challenged for the state 3-A championship two years ago at Boulder City, had 567-555--1,122.

Wright shot 79-77--156 to earn medalist honors, with teammate Shelby Hooper second at 83-79--162. MacKenzie Sowers of 1-A Reno Sage Ridge, was third at 87-84--171.

Amanda Bulloch of Virgin Valley and Ashley Keller of Pahrump Valley completed the all-state team. On a match of scorecards, Bulloch was awarded fourth place with her 83-90--173, while Keller, who has been on each of the last three state title teams, had 80-93--173.

Sixth was Courtney Salmon, who had 84-90--174. A senior, Salmon played in four consecutive state tournaments -- including Genoa Lakes in 2004 and 2006, at Boulder City in 2005.

For the Trojans:

Jasper Biggs, the only other senior on the team, had 97-95--192 to finish 17th.

Hailey Forry, a junior, was 21st with 98-103--201;

Siera Fitzgibbons, a freshman, had 114-107--221 to place 31st.

Meghan Morales, a junior, was 34th with 119-106--225.

Virgin Valley golfers were seventh (Southern League player of the year Samanatha Bulloch, 89-87--176), 12th (Felisha Baeza, 94-90--184), 25th (Hannah Bulloch, 111-100-211), 44th (Dru Zolman, 121-122--243) and 45th (Merlin John, 133-111--244).

The Wright-Hooper show didn't have a supporting cast, finishing 27th (Gwen Paul, 109-107--216, 41st (Michelle Tonking, 119-119--238), 49th (Taylor Parsons, 143-134--277) and 50th (Sarena Joseph, 152-146--298).

Boulder City's Margot Potter, playing as an individual, was tied for seventh with 87-89--176. Wells' Brittany Supp was ninth with 89-91--180 and Kristen Daniels of North Tahoe was 10th with 90-91--181.

Lowry, which won the state championship in 2003 with 929 over 36 holes at Mesquite because of players like the irrepressible MacKenzie Swecker, was led by the 97-91--188 shot by Chloe McClintock. Faith Lutheran, the state 3-A champion in 2004, had Shawn Haggerty finish 13th with 101-87--188. Teammate Ashley Lacher had 95-95--190 for 15th.

"The common thread over these last three years has been our depth," said Bob Hopkins, the Lady Trojans' assistant coach and now the school's athletics director.

"We've always had two or three good players, but our fourth, fifth and sixth players were able to come through," said Hopkins.

Floyd is aware that moving into Class 4-A will change the dynamics of the girls' golf program. "But we have some good players coming back from this team, and we have a good group of young players coming up," said Floyd.

"Besides Fitzgibbons, Forry, Keller and Morales, we will have a freshman, Mariah Genet, a sophomore, Brittany DiNicola and another freshman, Shyanne Dixon, coming back," said Floyd. "And all of those girls have come out of our (Pahrump Valley Junior Golf Association) program."

Silverado wins Class 4-A title

The Class 4-A tournament was played Monday and Tuesday, just down the road at the 5,715, par 72 Canyon Gate Country Club course.

Las Vegas Silverado won the title with 469-451--920, with Douglas Minden second at 463-472--935. Henderson Green Valley was third with 473-473--946, and fourth was defending champion Bishop Gorman with 505-487--992. Gorman is in the Sunset Region Southwest Division, where Pahrump Valley will compete next year.

Sparks Spanish Springs had 511-486--997 and Centennial had 523-529--1,052.

Alex Borchers of Centennial won a playoff to earn the medal; she shot 82-78--160, a score matched by Henderson Coronado's Bethany Glassford (79-81--160). Silverado was led by Stephanie Whatley (85-78--163) and Tameka Demps (83-80--163). Bishop Gorman's top score was 85-79--164, shot by Nichole Corpus-Massucci.