Eagles Gleason, You advance

CHINO — The Golden West League girls’ golf finals on Tuesday were technically an event for individuals, not a team competition.

But over the course of the day, Estancia High nevertheless showed the power of its team.

The Eagles had three players in the top four of the event, held at El Prado Golf Course’s Butterfield Course.

Bridget Gleason finished second by a single stroke with a nine-over par 81 on Tuesday, making a two-day total of 163. She was followed by teammates Lina You (170) in third and Taylor West (171) in fourth.

By finishing in the top three in league, seniors Gleason and You qualify for the CIF Southern Section Northern Individual Regional, to be held Nov. 6 at Las Posas Country Club in Camarillo.

“I can’t wait for [CIF] Individuals,” Gleason said. “That’s what really matters. That’s the important part, CIF.”

Caroline Clements (186) was seventh for Estancia, Kim Haycraft and Avery Williams (204) tied for ninth and Josie Flores was 11th (207).

Laguna Beach’s Sasha Speare won the tournament with her two-day total of 162.

“She’s a senior with a lot of physical ability,” Estancia Coach Art Perry said of Speare. “I knew she would be top three. I was just hoping she wouldn’t be No. 1. We just have to congratulate her for a great round today; 78’s a great score.”

Gleason and West, who shot 82 and 83, respectively, on Monday, came into the day leading the pack, with Speare in third. But Speare’s 38 on the front nine Tuesday tied her with Gleason.

Gleason, the defending league champion, made her move after that, parring holes No. 10, 11, 12, 14 and 16.

Over that six-hole span, she gained three strokes on Speare, giving her a comfortable lead.

But then Gleason bogeyed No. 17 to give a shot back, and three-putted on the par-five 18th for a double-bogey. Speare, meanwhile, birdied 18 — her first birdie of the day — for the one-stroke win.

“You’ve got to be able to putt, and I didn’t,” Gleason said. “But first, second and third in league and you’re going to CIF. That’s what really matters.”

After finishing second in the league finals last year, You — who shot an 85 on Tuesday — said she was happy to make a return trip to the CIF Individual tournament.

But with six girls in the league’s top 10, it was very clear that unbeaten Estancia (15-0) was the most dominant team there.

“We have five seniors and they’ve been in the program for four years,” Perry said. “It’s just a great mixture of talent and camaraderie, and they work really hard. No one has outworked them.”

Teamwork should help the Eagles Tuesday at the CIF Southern Divisional. That team competition will also be held at El Prado.

“It was a good idea to have league individuals here, so we’ll be better prepared for next week,” You said. “Playing here gave us experience that we needed.”

NEWPORT’S HORN TAKES SEVENTH

Newport Harbor High junior Kendall Horn finished seventh individually at the Sunset League finals at El Prado on Tuesday.

Horn scored an 85, giving her a two-day total of 127. Teammate Tiffany Kim finished in eighth place with a two-day total of 128, and Ali Thomas finished in 10th with a 130.

Kim and Thomas shot an 86 and 88, respectively, on Tuesday. All three Sailors scores were personal-bests.

Los Alamitos’ Adriana Ortencio scored a two-day total of 114 for the league championship.

Only the top five qualified for the CIF Individuals Regional, but Coach Scott Tarnow said he couldn’t be happier with the Sailors, who finished in second place in league.

“I think they did fantastic,” he said of his young team, which featured three freshmen and two sophomores. “They did better than my expectations. They all want to get better and they all play really hard.

As a junior, Horn is one of the older members of the team.

“It was really amazing to watch such a young team get second out of six teams in the league,” she said.

Newport Harbor will now prepare for its team CIF Central Divisional, which is Monday at Yucaipa Valley Golf Club in Yucaipa.