With temperatures in the 90s on Tuesday, Canyon senior Amanda Zuidema was happy to be subbed out for her third set.
Zuidema, Canyon’s No. 1 singles player, was also pleased with her performance in the two sets she did play — two 6-0 wins.
Zuidema and senior Lauren Candia combined to win five sets in singles and Canyon’s doubles pairings also looked great in taking eight of nine doubles points as the Comanches opened their season with a 13-5 victory over St. Margaret’s (0-1) in a nonleague match.
Canyon coach Wil Wilkins said his team has strong depth, and it was displayed on the court, as five doubles pairings won sets. Canyon’s No. 1 doubles team, Helena Bui and Justine Phillips, breezed through its sets, winning 6-2, 6-0 and 6-0.
“We’re solid all the way through,” said Wilkins, whose Canyon team is coming off a 19-1 record and Century League title last season.
That was proved as 15 players took the court for Canyon, 13 of them winning a set. Candia played doubles for Canyon the last three years but swept her singles sets Tuesday, defeating St. Margaret’s No. 1 singles player, Tessa Hurr, in the final one.
– MARK COOPER
In girls golf:
One of the winners Tuesday at Western Hills Country Club was shocked to learn that her score warranted a trophy while the other first-place finisher was a surprise to no one.
For the second consecutive season, No. 5 Troy won the team portion of the Rosary Royal Shotgun, shooting a 198 in the nine-hole tournament. The Warriors were the only team in the field to break 200 and finished 21 shots clear of fourth-ranked Yorba Linda.
Foothill sophomore Madeline Chou earned medalist honors with her 1-over-par 36. Edison’s Jennifer Yu and Troy’s Ysabel Tran also finished with a 36, but the first hole was used as a tiebreaker. Chou parred the hole while Yu and Tran both carded bogeys.
Chou was walking out of the clubhouse, ready to head home when she found out her score was good enough to be the individual champion.
“I didn’t think 1-over would do it, but it held up,” she said. “This is not my favorite course. I usually struggle. It doesn’t set up for me, really.”
Traditionally, Troy’s strength is its consistency from players one through six, and among the seven teams competing in the tournament, the Warriors were the only ones without a 50 on their scorecard.
“We had three girls playing in this tournament for the first time, so to have that score at this course is very good,” Troy coach Jerry Cowgill said.
– DAMIAN DOTTORE
