The Arizona girls’ high school state golf tournaments are just a few weeks away. Division II tees off on Oct. 28 and Division I follows on Nov. 4. Here’s a look at the top 10 girls high school teams based on iWanamaker’s rankings this week. The rankings are based on player scores in matches this season and used by the Arizona Interscholastic Association.
1. Xavier
It’s no surprise to find the Gators in the No. 1 spot again. They took home the school’s 38th golf championship in last year’s Division I tournament. Alexis Lamadrid, a freshman at the time, placed in a 3-way tie for 2nd place. Now in her sophomore season, she and the rest of the Gators will be looking to hold that banner once again come November. Lamadrid and junior Isabella Piazza are ranked as iWanamaker’s No. 5 and 6 golfers as of this week.
2. Casteel
Two defending champions hold the top two spots. The Colts won the Division II championship last season behind Julia Herzberg and Jordin Cowing. Herzberg finished second lowest with her 3-under in the two-day tournament and the junior has picked up right where she left off this season. She is the No. 3 golfer in the state, and Cowing falls in at No. 9.
3. Pinnacle
The Pioneers placed second in last year’s Division I tournament, falling by an overall 33 strokes to Xavier. Kaitlyn Moreland shot a 4-under and finished in a three-way tie for 2nd place. All five of Pinnacle’s golfers placed within the top 20 in the tournament. With a deep roster and the No. 4 ranked player in the state in Moreland, the Pioneers are poised for a run at a state title.
4. Cactus Shadows
Cactus Shadows fell by only two strokes to Casteel in last year’s Division II tournament. The 2022 champions were looking to repeat, and were on pace to if it wasn’t for Casteel’s Herzberg and Cowing. Charlene Lamb, iWanamaker’s No. 12 golfer in the state, shot 1-under over the two day tournament and is continuing to lead the Falcons in her junior season.
5. Chaparral
The Firebirds was the other team in tight competition along with Casteel and Cactus Shadows in last year’s Division II tournament. They placed just behind the Falcons for third place with a team score of 631 over the two days. The tournament’s lowest score came from Raegan Capizzi, who shot a combined 6-under. But Capizzi has since graduated and junior Isabel Helgemoe now leads the way for Chaparral.
6. Seton Catholic Prep
The Sentinels placed fifth in last year’s Division II tournament, behind Cynthia Lang, who shot a 152 over the two days. Lang is iWanamaker’s No. 15 golfer in Arizona. The junior will look to take the Sentinels into the tournament once again at the end of the month.
7. Liberty
Natalia Fox is the No. 14 ranked golfer in the state as just a freshman, according to iWanamaker. The Lions placed 7th in the Division I tournament last season behind Kaitlin Anderson. Liberty will now rely on a young team that shows promise, and Fox will look to make a name for herself in the upcoming tournament.
8. Red Mountain
Red Mountain cracked into the top 10 of the 2023 Division I tournament. Catherine Seder, a freshman at the time, outperformed many higher-ranked schools with her 159 individual score. The sophomore is ranked at No. 18 in the state so far this season.
9. Desert Vista
Placing 7th in last year’s Division I tournament, the Thunder are in a similar position before this tournament. Sophomore Jacqueline Michael and senior Madeleine Nguyen are ranked No. 37 and 40, and lead the Thunder.
10. Notre Dame Prep
Makenna Cox, now a senior, shot 3-under par on the first day of the Division II tournament last season. She finished with a 149 across both days and placed 9th individually. Notre Dame Prep finished in 7th place as a team, and is the last team to crack iWanamaker’s top 10 Arizona girls golf teams.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona high school girls golf Top 10: Xavier tops rankings
