Class 3A: Western’s Jared Smith, Eagles break dry spells by claiming titles

Jared Smith held only a two-stroke lead when he headed to Mountain Falls on Tuesday morning.

Strolling up to the 18th green Tuesday afternoon, the Western junior had plenty of breathing room.

Smith carded his second straight 1-under-par 71 to easily win the Class 3A boys state golf tournament. He’s the first Western player to win the individual title since Joel Kijowski in 1996 and only the second since Jerry Foltz won the title in 1979.

It wasn’t the only drought broken Tuesday. Boulder City captured the team title for the first time since 2006, winning by one stroke over Spring Creek.

Smith shot the only two under-par rounds of the tournament and won by nine strokes over Boulder City senior Jackson Wright, who shot an even-par 72 on Tuesday to finish second at 151.

After a bogey on No. 4, Smith birdied Nos. 7 and 8 and never looked back. Playing in the final group of the day, Smith’s lead grew to six shots at the turn. He gave back a stroke on the 13th hole, but birdied the 15th and closed with three pars.

Boulder City freshman Blake Schaper shot 77 to finish at 152 in a tie for third with Spring Creek’s Daniel Mahlke and Churchill County’s Kelvin Cann.

Led by Wright and Schaper, Boulder City shot 319 as a team in the final round to rally past Spring Creek. The Eagles trailed by five strokes after Monday’s first round and finished with a team total of 643 to capture their sixth state title. Boulder City was the runner-up last season.

Spring Creek was second at 644. Pahrump Valley was third at 675, followed by Lowry (697) and South Tahoe (698).