West Valley senior Melia Cerenzia delivered a masterful performance at the Kalispel Golf and Country Club on Thursday, shooting a 2-under 71 to claim the girls Kalispel Championship by an impressive 10 strokes.
Cerenzia came out firing, birdying two of the first four holes to set the tone early. She added another birdie on No. 10 before a bogey on the par-5 12th, then locked in with six consecutive pars to close out the victory.
"I figured there was more out there," Cerenzia said of her fast start. "The first couple holes, those ones are easy to get pretty low on. So I just was kind of trying to stay consistent through the tough ones."
Mead's Maryn Langham finished second at 8-over 81, while Naomi Molitor of Almira/Coulee-Hartline and Freeman's Lily Knight tied for third at 12-over 85. In the team competition, Gonzaga Prep edged Mead by one stroke at plus-76, with West Valley taking third at plus-86.
Despite the deep field featuring top golfers from all six classifications, Cerenzia kept her focus inward. "I think it doesn't really matter," she said. "It's just kind of a game against yourself and seeing how good you can play, especially like giving yourself opportunities (to score)."
The senior, who won the State 2A championship as a sophomore at MeadowWood Golf Course and placed fourth last year at Tumwater Golf Club, praised the tournament's venue. "The course is always very hard, so it's a fun one. They keep it in great shape, and it's always a perfect tournament."
With districts and state on the horizon, Cerenzia feels confident in her game. "It's more just the mental (aspect), making sure I have a good head on my shoulders and keeping it positive." The girls State 2A tournament this year will be held at Riverside Golf Club in Chehalis.
On the boys side, Mead senior Ben Barrett shot a 1-under 71 to capture his third consecutive Kalispel Championship title, finishing one stroke ahead of Mt. Spokane's Mason Dietzen, Cheney's Justin Krasselt, and Lewis and Clark's Dylan Masterson. Barrett birdied two early holes, bogeyed No. 14, then bounced back with a birdie on No. 15 to hold off the field.
Lewis and Clark claimed the boys team title at plus-14, one stroke ahead of Cheney, while Ridgeline and Central Valley tied for third at plus-22.
In other prep action, eighth-seeded Pasco eliminated ninth-seeded Mead in a District 6 4A play-in game, with Max Garcia striking out six over five innings and Seth Laine adding two scoreless innings of relief. Caleb Szendre singled and scored on an error in the third inning, and RJ Lopez scored on a wild pitch in the fifth.
Walla Walla's Michael Spalding drove in four runs as the ninth-seeded Blue Devils topped Shadle Park 6-2 on the road.