Kinsinger leads Grizzlies in conference match

Last week, Matt Kinsinger shot 6-under par 66 that ranks as the best individual round in Nevada prep golf history. On Tuesday, the rest of his Galena High School teammates had a chance to celebrate together when the Grizzlies shot a sterling 359 to win a Northern 4A match at Eagle Valley Golf Course.

Kinsinger shot 68 to earn individual medalist honors, while Morgan Goff 70 and Pat Flynn even par 72 on Eagle Valley's East Course as Galena remained undefeated in conference match play. The 1-under par team total was a special achievement, according to Kinsinger.

"One-under is a Nevada record for a team," said Kinsinger, who has committed to play for UNLV. "One of our goals was to break par as a team this year. We've been shooting for that all year, so it's nice we finally got it."

Likewise, the host-Carson Senators shot a season best 382 on the player-friendly East Course to finish third in the match. Reed was second at 381, while Carson edged Reno (384) for the third spot.

"The kids played pretty well," Carson coach Paul Croghan said. "A lot of the kids played well, actually. It's going to be a dogfight for the second and third spots to go to the state tournament."

Tim Hohl and Chad Gilmore both shot 3-over 75 and freshman J.T. Cockerill 76 to lead the Senators. Steve McQuirk and Jeremy Nielsen shot 78 to round out the team total. Cockerill's 76 was a career best.

"He's really been steady all year," Croghan said of Cockerill, who was even-par through 15 holes. "He's still only 14, so he shows a lot of maturity out there for someone his age."

A stiff head wind on the last two holes took a toll on some of the players -- Kinsinger, among others.

"It did a little. No. 17 was the first green I missed," Kinsinger said. "My club selection wasn't good. I wasn't sure what to use because of the wind so I took more and it went too far. I took a bogey there and I think that made me lose a little focus because I took another one on 18."

As it turned out, those were Kinsinger's only bogeys of the day. Before that, he put together a string of birdies on Nos. 13, 14 and 15.

Kinsinger has won three each of the last three conference matches, highlighted by his 66 at ArrowCreek Country Club in Reno on April 7.

"We looked it up and Matt set a state record, and that was on a tough course," Galena coach Keith Keith Mussallem said.

"He's coming alive and we're doing great as a team overall. I think we can still improve; we're pretty solid with our top four or five and we're hoping to make it six."

Four players broke par on the day. Spanish Springs senior Edgar Leano shot 70 to tie Goff for second-place and Fallon junior Brody Hammon shot 71.

The preps are scheduled to return to Eagle Valley today for the opening round of the 11th annual Dick Stoddard Memorial Carson Invitational. Twelve schools from California and Nevada are entered in the two-day tournament, which starts today at 1 p.m. on the East Course. The tournament finishes Thursday on the West Course.