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- (left to right) Lauren Garcia, Juie Huggins, Kaya Kshatriya
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- (left to right) Tyler Spielman, Rylan Johnson, Ethan Klose
Gilbert’s Rylan Johnson continues to play exceptional golf, this time, at the Maricopa Junior Championship, held August 2-3. He posted 65-67, 12-under par at a stout Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club for the victory. Six strokes back, Tyler Spielman of Cave Creek and Ethan Klose of Phoenix both put up a pair of 3-under 69s to capture a share of second place at -6. Johnson, already with three JGAA wins this season, posted his fourth victory, recording 15 birdies to 3 bogeys over 36 holes.
Kaya Kshatriya of Scottsdale won in the Girls Championship division by two strokes (+6) over Julie Huggins (+8) of Anthem and Lauren Garcia (+8) of Gilbert, who tied for second place. Kshatriya jumped out to the first-round lead with at 2-over-par 74, while Huggins and Garcia sat four back with 78s. Although both players narrowed Kshatriya’s lead in the second round, they ultimately finished two strokes back with final-round 74s; Kshatriya closed the competition with a 76. The win marks her first since moving up to the Girls Championship division in April.
In the Boys 15-18 division Bowei Wang (71-75) of Scottsdale edged out Hunter Schaefer (70-76) of Litchfield Park in a playoff after they finished tied for the lead at 2-over-par 146. Likewise, Wyatt Charnoki (75-76) of Tucson prevailed in a playoff over Oliver Uribe (75-76) of Scottsdale to win the Boys 13-14 division after both finished at 7-over-par 151. Zachary Schaefer of Tucson shot +3 (37-38–75) to win the Boys 11-12 Division, and Apollo Lynch of Scottsdale shot a fantastic 4-under-par 68 (34-34) to win the Boys 10 and Under division.
Tucson’s Lily Huether won in the Girls 15-18 division at 3-over par (75-72—147). Ella Walsh of Tucson won the Girls 13-14 division at 13-over par (76-81—157), and Taylor Underhill of Gilbert won in the Girls 11-12 division at 32-over-par 104 (50-54).
