Pusch Ridge beat The Gregory School 160 to 211 Tuesday afternoon at the Omni Tucson National Sonoran Course. The Sonoran Course will host the Division III state tournament slated for May 8-9.

The top team from each of the eight sections will earn an automatic playoff berth this spring and that group will include eight at-large team berths along with the top 15 golfers not attached to a state qualifying team. Scottsdale Prep senior Adam Miller is playing for his third state championship before heading off to play for New Mexico. There was no state tournament when Miller was a freshman. The Spartans have also won the last two team titles.

Pusch Ridge was the only team from Southern Arizona to qualify for the state tournament last year and the Lions took eighth place. Joshua Carroll came in at No. 20 and he beat the field on Tuesday with a 3-over-par 38. Pusch Ridge freshman sisters Kiah and Olivia Franklin ended the round one stroke back with a 4-over 39 and Gregory School standout James Labukas shot a 43 to take fourth place. Labukas was an at-large state qualifier last spring.

Pusch Ridge will join Payson and Yuma Catholic on a trip to Chandler on Wednesday to take on host team Valley Christian at the Cattail Course. The Gregory School is scheduled to take part in the Sandy Cook Golf Invitational (Twin Lakes Golf Course) hosted by Willcox, on Friday, March 31.

Kiah Franklin. (Andy Morales/AZPreps365)