Clovis West golfers shatter Area mark

Senior Asia Adell shot a 3-under par 69 as Clovis West captured the Central Section North Area championship Monday at Madera Municipal Golf Course with easily the best team round on a regulation venue in section history.

The Golden Eagles also received a 73 from freshman Camille Orito, a 77 from senior Morgan Thomas, a 79 from junior Alyssa Orito and an 80 from senior Jamie Thomas for a 378 total.

That bettered runner-up Clovis North by 51 strokes and shattered Clovis West’s own section record of 391 set last year, also at Madera Muni.

“They are very good, but I would not have predicted that score,” Eagles coach Ken Shipley said. “They were very patient, hit good shots and managed the course well.”

Clovis West and Clovis North advance to the nine-team section tournament next Monday at Tulare Golf Course.

Redwood tops tennis seeds

Rosemarie Lewis played for the last Redwood High girls tennis team to win consecutive section titles.

She now coaches a senior-laden Rangers’ squad favored to repeat as section champs.

Redwood was given the No. 1 seed in the Division II playoffs for the second straight year Monday by the section seeding committee. And Rangers standout Gabrielle Gatewood was given the top singles seed in the individual tournament, also announced Monday.

In the team playoffs, the first round in Divisions I and II — the only divisions with more than eight teams — begin today, with Redwood awaiting the winner of the match between No. 9 El Diamante and No. 8 Tulare Western on Thursday.

“It’s the perfect scenario,” said Lewis, who helped the Rangers to back-to-back titles in 1975-76. “I’m hoping to relive the dream.”

Two-time defending section individual singles champion Gatewood leads Redwood, which returned all but No. 2 singles player Brooke Rakes from last season’s title-winning team when the Rangers defeated second-seeded Garces 7-2 in the final. The Rams, who had essentially owned D-II before Redwood was placed in the division last year, are seeded second again this season.

“I’m sure Garces would like another chance at us,” Lewis said.

Nasheen Orandi has moved into the No. 2 singles role for Redwood, with the rest of the ladder including Alexis Rico at No. 3, Jasmine Woodruff at No. 4, Chareena Sarabian at No. 5 and new No. 6 Audra Proctor.

Briawna Brown and Alex Bebout are the No. 3 doubles team, with Lewis choosing to keep her combinations at Nos. 1-2 doubles private until match time.

“We’re still a strong team,” Lewis said. “Hopefully, we’re peaking.”

Three other defending champions — Immanuel in D-IV, Bakersfield Christian in D-V and Strathmore in D-VI — return as top seeds.

Buchanan, which split two Tri-River Athletic Conference meetings with Clovis West and produced the league’s individual (Kathryn Ashford) and doubles (Erin Carlson-Jessica Wang) champions, was awarded the top-seed in Division I. The Golden Eagles are No. 2. Defending D-I champion Stockdale is the fourth seed.

Porterville edged defending champion Tehachapi for the top seed in Division III.

The finals in divisions I-IV are Nov. 5. The D-V final is Nov. 3 and the D-VI final — a bracket that features only Strathmore and McFarland — is Oct. 29.

Gatewood, who gave an oral commitment to Cal Poly on Friday, is the top seed in the individual singles tournament. Buchanan’s Carlson and Wang are the top seed in doubles.

The individual tournament — hosted by Redwood — starts Saturday and continues Nov. 6-7, with the finals set for noon at Visalia’s In-Shape City, formerly the Visalia Racquet Club.

By Nick Giannandrea and Andy Boogaard / The Fresno Bee