Ironwood Ridge standout Zoe Newell shot a 2-under-par 34 on the Canada Course of the El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Country Club on Wednesday to help lead the Nighthawks past Canyon del Oro as the Amphitheater District begins its fall schedule.

Newell recorded a bogey on the eighth hole but birdies on the fourth, fifth and ninth holes helped keep her two strokes ahead of her teammate, Celia Schrecker. Faith Valenzuela led the Dorados with a 51 on the day.

Head coach Doug Kautz led the team to its first state championship last fall when the Nighthawks outpaced the powerful Cactus Shadows program 592 to 597. The team from Cave Creek has seven state titles including three in a row from 2016 to 2018. The 2018 championship came against Ironwood Ridge.

“We are returning all of our players from last year,” Kautz said. “They all have one more year of maturity and a state runner up and state championship under their belts. I think this year we are more competitive within our team. MaKenna Brown and Celia Schrecker keep getting better and Hannah (Ports), Raina (Ports), and Zoe keep pushing each other to be better.”

Competing as individuals in the off season, members of the Nighthawk squad took third place at the High School Golf National Invitational held in Pinehurst, North Carolina in early August.

The Division II state playoffs on the girl’s side will take place from Nov. 2-3 at the OMNI Tucson National Catalina Course. The top 12 teams and the next 18 unattached golfers will qualify. A minimum of six rounds is required.

Hannah Ports took fourth at state last fall, Zoe Newell came in fifth, Raina Ports was eighth, Schrecker was 23rd and Brown was 33rd.

Canyon del Oro standout Madeline Fay qualified for the state tournament as an individual last year but she will miss her senior season due to an injury.

 

Ironwood Ridge 149, Canyon del Oro 247

 

INDIVIDUAL SCORES

Zoe Newell, Ironwood Ridge 34 -2

Celia Schrecker, Ironwood Ridge 36

Hannah Ports, Ironwood Ridge 38

Raina Ports, Ironwood Ridge 41

MaKenna Brown, Ironwood Ridge 43

Faith Valenzuela, Canyon del Oro 51

Julissa Lopez, Canyon del Oro 61

Sydney Enos, Canyon del Oro 66

Micaela Wu, Canyon del Oro 69

Jenyce Lopez, Canyon del Oro 71

Brooke Royval, Canyon del Oro

(Faith Valenzuela/Andy Morales/AZPreps365)