Pahrump Valley golfer Raegan Saldana qualifies for 3A Southern regional

Pahrump Valley sophomore Raegan Saldana spent the fall trying to take the guesswork out of her golf game.

On Wednesday at Aliante Golf Club in Las Vegas, one round will determine whether that preparation carries her back to the Class 3A state tournament.

Saldana qualified individually for the 3A Southern Region tournament after completing the regular season with an average of 23.25 strokes over par. She enters the postseason ranked seventh among the league’s individual golfers.

Golfers were required to submit at least three qualifying scores and average no more than 35 strokes over par to reach the regional tournament.

The regional standings will start fresh at Aliante. The top three teams will advance to state, along with the top six individuals who are not members of those qualifying teams.

That leaves Saldana within striking distance of her second consecutive state appearance.

“She needs to shoot below plus-35 in order to qualify for state,” Pahrump Valley coach Sierra McKillips said. “As long as Raegan continues her game from this season, she will make it to state.”

Saldana’s regular season was defined more by consistency than by dramatic swings from one match to the next.

She opened with a 102 at Boulder Creek Golf Club on Aug. 20, tying for seventh. One week later, she produced the best round of her high school career at Mountain Falls Golf Club, shooting a 93 to place fifth among 25 golfers.

Saldana followed with three consecutive rounds of 96.

Consistently consistent

She placed seventh among 26 golfers at CasaBlanca Golf Club in Mesquite, tied for fifth among 22 competitors at Coyote Springs and finished seventh in a 25-player field at Siena Golf Club.

Each of those rounds was 24 strokes over par, giving Saldana the dependable scoring McKillips wanted to see as the postseason approached.

“Raegan’s scores have been super consistent this season,” McKillips said. “She has worked really hard on course planning before each match. This has helped her greatly, as she feels more confident approaching each match.”

The planning begins before Saldana reaches the first tee. By studying a course and deciding how she wants to approach its holes, she can devote more attention during the round to execution and her response to difficult shots.

“Course planning takes out the guessing in the game and allows her to focus on her mindset versus what club to take next,” McKillips said.

That mental adjustment addresses one of the primary lessons Saldana took from last year’s state tournament.

As a freshman, Saldana shot rounds of 113 and 122 at Boulder Creek for a two-day total of 235. She finished 30th among 32 golfers but gained experience at the level she is trying to reach again.

Before this season, Saldana identified course management and the mental side of the game as the areas she most needed to strengthen.

McKillips believes the difference has become apparent.

“Raegan has shaved off 15-plus strokes from her score last year,” she said. “I believe this was due to her course-management skills this season. I also believe she has improved her mindset and learned how to shake off the bad holes.”

Extra-credit work

Saldana also received instruction outside the high school program, working on her course management and swing. McKillips said those lessons complemented the work Saldana put in during team practices and the offseason.

“We are super proud of Raegan’s growth as a golfer this season,” McKillips said. “She is tuned into her game, and it is evident that Raegan has put in the work both at practice and during the offseason.”

The next opportunity for improvement will come on the greens. McKillips said Saldana’s putting has progressed but believes reducing each hole to one or two putts would allow her to remove additional strokes from her rounds.

The coach said Saldana’s best asset, however, cannot be measured as easily as a score or putting total.

“Raegan knows she can play well,” McKillips said. “As long as she trusts her judgment, she will be successful.”

Sunset for Soto

Senior Natalie Soto, Pahrump Valley’s only other golfer, narrowly missed qualifying for the postseason.

Soto returned to golf this year after spending three years away from the sport. She competed throughout the schedule despite having to rebuild her tournament experience during her final high school season.

Her best published round came at CasaBlanca, where she shot a 110 and tied for 13th. McKillips said Soto repeatedly finished only a few strokes outside the postseason qualification standard.

Although Soto will not compete at Aliante, she will accompany the team and support Saldana during the regional tournament.

“Natalie has worked so hard this season, and we are super proud of her determination,” McKillips said. “Her skills have greatly improved over the season. The scores do not reflect her skills and positive sportsmanship.”

McKillips said Soto’s value to the program extended beyond the numbers on her scorecard.

“As a coach, scores do not define the athlete,” McKillips said. “There is so much more to a player. Natalie is a great golfer and showed up every tournament.”

The two-player roster prevented Pahrump Valley from posting team scores during league competition, but Saldana and Soto represented the Trojans throughout the season as individuals.

They also participated in a noncompetitive match Sept. 24 that allowed the Class 3A golfers to step away from the standings and support breast-cancer awareness. Players wore pink gear and ribbon socks sponsored by Soroptimist International of Pahrump Valley.

“It was a great day to be on the course and watch the girls just enjoy golf,” McKillips said.

The stakes will be different Wednesday.

Saldana will arrive at Aliante with a season of consistent scoring, a more deliberate approach to managing the course and experience from last year’s state tournament.

One of the six available individual state berths is now the target.

Contact sports reporter Bill Evans at wevans@pvtimes.com