Scavo wins first match at U.S. Girls’ Junior golf

Kathleen Scavo of Justin-Siena High School began match play at the 2012 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship Wednesday with a win over Lindsey McCurdy of Kyle, Texas, 1 up, at Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City.

Scavo, a sophomore from Benicia, was playing in the lower bracket. She advanced from Monday and Tuesday’s stroke-play qualifying, shooting 77-74 — 151.

“I was struggling for the first five holes, then I got my rhythm back,” said Scavo, 14.

Nicole Morales, 16, of South Salem, N.Y., had the round of the day, winning her first eight holes en route to a 9-and-8 win over Tennessean Lauren Johnson.

Morales will square off next with Scavo, who is one of two Northern California players remaining in the field. the second-round match starts at 8:21 a.m.

“It’s going to get tougher,” said Scavo, who is playing in her first U.S. Golf Association event. “But I’m feeling good with my whole game, and I’m putting well. overall, I’m playing good. my irons got better at the end.”

Ariya Jutanugarn and Lydia Ko rolled to easy victories yesterday during the first round of match play on the 6,291-yard, par-72 course.

World No. 1 Ko only needed 12 holes to eliminate Mikayla Harmon, of Gilbert, Ariz., 7 and 6, while medalist and now World No. 2 Jutanugarn cruised to a 6-and-5 victory over Ji Eun Baik, of Newnan, Ga.

The U.S. Girls’ Junior continues today with the second and third rounds of match play. the quarterfinal and semifinal matches are on Friday, and the 36-hole championship final will be played Saturday.

The U.S. Girls’ Junior is one of 13 championships conducted annually by the USGA, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.

Scavo wins first match at U.S. Girls’ Junior golf

Prep/College Notebook: Talley ties for ninth at Pac-12 championships

Senior Emily Talley shot a final-round 74 and finished in a tie for ninth Sunday for the 11th-ranked University of Colorado women’s golf team at the 2012 Pac-12 Championships.

Talley, who is from Napa, made a birdie on the final hole at the Palouse Ridge Golf Club in Pullman, Wash., to get into the top 10.

It gives her three top-10 finishes at conference championships. it also marks Talley’s 19th career top-10 finish and it’s her 30th career top-20 finish for Colorado.

The Buffaloes fell from second place and finished sixth.

Talley began the tournament with a 78, but came back to shoot 69 in the second round Saturday and finished at 5-over 221.

“I was just really nervous (Sunday),” Talley said on the CU website.

“I couldn’t make any putts; that’s where I was getting in trouble. but I did end on a good note. I almost holed out No. 18 and had a tap-in birdie that put me into the top 10, so that’s nice. I was doing well on the tee and fairway; I was just getting tense on the green.”

UC Berkeley won the title, USC was second, Arizona took third, UCLA was fourth and Arizona State fifth. Stanford was seventh, and was followed by Oregon, Washington, Washington State and Oregon State.

Talley, who attended Justin-Siena High School for three years before transferring to Stevenson-Pebble Beach for her senior year, was tied for fifth after the second round.

“I made some putts (Saturday), but I still left a few shots out there,” Talley said.

“I made some awesome birdies, some easy birdies. it was just a really consistent day. I was good off the tees and in the fairway.”

Colorado is expected to make the field and will be placed into the NCAA West Regional, which CU will host at Colorado National Golf Course may 10-12.

College Track and Field

Competing unattached, Justin-Siena sophomore Brendan Cardey finished fifth in the invitational division of the men’s javelin throw at the annual Brutus Hamilton Invitational. it was held Saturday at UC Berkeley’s Edwards Stadium.

Cardey, who is also with the Napa Track Club, threw the javelin 152-6 in Flight 1.

Women’s College Golf

Napa’s Taylor Bickell, a freshman, finished in a tie for 26th place at the Western Athletic Conference Women’s Golf Championships for the University of Nevada.

Bickell had rounds of 84, 82 and 83 for a 249 total at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Ariz., last week.

San Jose State won its fourth straight WAC title. Nevada was sixth.

Women’s College Water Polo

Krista Loper, who plays the center position, was honored by Fresno Pacific on Senior Day as the Sunbirds concluded the season by playing in the 2012 National Invitational at Sunnyside Aquatic Center in Fresno last week.

Fresno Pacific ended its season by taking third place.

Loper, a Vintage High graduate who is from Napa, scored four goals on the final day of the season as the Sunbirds beat Vanguard, 19-2, and lost to Concordia, 10-4.

“Krista has really broken out of her shell this year and been a key player this whole season,” coach Bryan Suhovy said on the school’s website. “Just the love she has for the team and the game and everything … as well as the leadership that she brought as one of our team captains. She really had a breakout season, was aggressive all year long and it’s been exciting to have her here.”

Loper was a three-year starter as a utility player at Vintage. She was a team captain and was named All-Big 8 Conference Honorable Mention for Santa Rosa Junior College as a utility player.

College Baseball

• Shortstop Mike Santora had a huge day for Cal Poly-Pomona, going 7 for 9 at the plate to key a California Collegiate Athletic Association doubleheader sweep of host Cal State East Bay in Hayward Saturday, 5-0 and 6-3.

The Napa High graduate was 4 for 5 with an RBI in the first game and 3 for 4 with a double and four RBIs in the second game.

• Outfielder Ted LeMasters of Napa is batting .234 with five doubles and 10 RBIs for the University of San Francisco.

LeMasters is a Napa High graduate.

Prep/College Notebook: Talley ties for ninth at Pac-12 championships