Scottsdale Christian. (Andy Morales/AZPreps365)

 

Adam Miller started the final round of the AIA Division III state championships down two strokes to Scottsdale Christian sophomore Gracie McGovern and the junior from Scottsdale Prep shot a 5-under-par 68 to win his second straight title by one stroke. Miller won his first championship at the Omni Tucson National Sonoran Course last year and he collected his second medal on the Catalina Course this year.

Miller (73-68, 141) birdied five of his first eight holes on the back nine on Tuesday to build what looked like a safe lead over McGovern (71-71, 142) but a double bogey on the 18th hole brought McGovern to within a couple of feet of sending the match to a playoff. McGovern had a putt from about 30 feet for a birdie on the 18th but it came up short and a par on the hole was all Miller needed to secure his individual title.

Scottsdale Prep sophomore Ty Pennypacker (72-74, 146) and Scottsdale Christian senior Nicklaus Ummel (74-72, 146) tied for third place and Arizona College Prep junior Kevin Chor (71-76, 147) took fifth.

As a team, Scottsdale Prep came into the state tournament as the obvious favorites with a ranking too high to overcome on paper and the Spartans made it a reality with a 2-under-par 582 to 627 win over Scottsdale Christian. Phoenix Country Day took third with a 643, BASIS Phoenix came in fourth with a 644 and Northland Prep took fifth with a 654.

Scottsdale Prep brought home the 2021 state championship last year to make this two in a row for head coach Brian Miller. All five of the Spartans finished in the top eight this year and the team will lose No. 6 Talia Gutman (72-77, 149) and No. 8 Ellis Koagedal (75-76, 151) to graduation.

 

2022 D-III Top Ten (R-L)/(Andy Morales/AZPreps365)