The Pahrump Valley High School girls’ golf team returned to competition Thursday, Aug. 27, hosting the second 3A match of the season at Mountain Falls Golf Club, where sophomore Raegan Saldaña turned in a top-five finish and senior Natalie Soto continued her first season on the course.
Saldaña led the Trojans with a round of 93 on the par-72 course, finishing 21 strokes over par and placing fifth overall among the 25 golfers who completed the 18-hole match.
The performance marked a notable improvement from Pahrump’s season opener at Boulder Creek, where Saldaña shot a 102 and tied for seventh. She cut nine strokes from that opening-round score while also moving higher in the individual standings.
Saldaña, who qualified for the state tournament as a freshman last season, finished just three strokes behind fourth-place Makenzie Martorano of Boulder City, who carded a 90. Morgen Terrill of Boulder City was third with an 85, while Chloe Sakkab of The Meadows and Emmerson Hinds of Boulder City shared the top spot after each shooting a 74, two strokes over par.
Soto completed the Mountain Falls round with a 114, 42 over par, to finish 12th overall. The senior had opened her first season of high school golf with a 112 at Boulder Creek, and Thursday’s match gave her another full 18-hole round as she continues making the transition to golf after spending her first three years of high school competing in soccer.
With only Saldaña and Soto on the roster, Pahrump Valley did not have enough golfers to post a team score, leaving the two Trojans to compete for individual placement.
Boulder City won the team competition with a score of 348, 60 over par. Virgin Valley finished second at 438, while Moapa Valley took third with a 510.
For Pahrump, the home match offered Saldaña another strong early-season result while giving Soto additional tournament experience as the Trojans continue through the 3A schedule.
