Faith Lutheran’s Maddie Perez dominates girls high school golf

Southern Nevada is home to several elite high school golfers, but there is one who plays in a class of her own.

Since winning last year’s girls state title, Faith Lutheran junior Maddie Perez has not lost a match. She has won every Class 5A Mountain league outing this season and has a 53-point lead over her nearest competitor.

Perez isn’t quite sure what has led to her consistent success, but she suspects it has something to do with hard work.

“I’ve just been practicing really hard,” said Perez, who has won her league meets by an average of nearly four strokes. “I play in a lot of offseason tournaments.”

She also noted an improvement to her mental game that gained traction late last season.

“I used to be pretty negative,” said Perez, whose father began coaching her as a young girl. “My dad told me I can’t get down after one bad shot. You just can’t get upset if you want to win.”

The adjustment has paid off. Only a handful of competitors have a realistic chance of defeating her in the postseason, including teammate Macy Garth, Bishop Gorman’s Tiffany Park and Samantha Harris, Clark’s Aliah Jordan and Palo Verde’s Rivers Common.

Crusaders coach CJ Schmid verified that hard work has been the secret to his standout golfer’s success.

“The big thing with Maddie is her work ethic,” said Schmid, who will leave Faith Lutheran after this season to take over as PGA America’s Southern Nevada Chapter director. “It just stands above everyone else. She’s one of those rare people who knows what to work on and how to work on it.”

He also confirmed Perez’s contention that her mental approach to the game has improved.

“She’s one of the most mentally strong golfers I’ve ever seen,” the coach said.

Perez said she will not be completely satisfied unless the Crusaders also win the team title.

“I love the team aspect of the game, and I thrive off that,” said Perez, whose team was a favorite last season before collapsing in the first round of state to finish fourth. “We just have to play our best and put pressure (on our opponents). It helps that our team chemistry is the best it’s ever been.”

Schmid said this could be the year.

“I like our team’s chances,” he said. “We have one of the deepest teams in the state, and I feel good about finally getting over the hump.”

And he expects Perez’s contribution to be more than just a top individual finish.

“She and Macy (Garth) are those people on the team that others admire as team leaders,” he said. “They push everyone to work just as hard.”

The Southern Region postseason tournament is set for Oct. 7 and 8 at Aliante, with the state tourney scheduled for the following week at Boulder City Golf Course and Boulder Creek.

Win or lose, Perez will be back next year as she continues examining her options for the more distant future.

“I haven’t committed anywhere, but I am talking to several Division I coaches,” said Perez, who plans to study criminology. “If the opportunity presents itself, I think I’m going to go pro.”

Perez and her teammates will be back in action at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in the penultimate Mountain League match at Canyon Gate as they attempt to hold off second-ranked Bishop Gorman.

Coronado, which holds the top spot in the Desert League standings with two matches remaining, will play Tuesday at Angel Park.

Girls tennis

With 5A Southern Region postseason action beginning Oct. 6, Coronado (5-0) has secured the No. 1 seed, and Palo Verde (5-1) is No. 2. Faith Lutheran and Bishop Gorman will fill the remaining two spots, with seeding to be determined by this week’s results.

Cimarron-Memorial (4-0) and The Meadows (4-0) sit atop of the 4A Desert standings with regional action scheduled to begin Saturday. Desert Oasis (5-0) leads the Mountain League, Liberty (6-0) is at the top of the Lake League standings, and Canyon Springs (5-0) leads the Sky League.

Boulder City (4-0) leads the 3A Southern League, as the Eagles prepare for postseason action beginning Oct. 6.

Boys tennis

Palo Verde (6-0) and Faith Lutheran (4-1) have secured the top two seeds in next week’s 5A Southern Region tournament. Coronado (3-2) and Bishop Gorman (2-2) will fill the remaining two spots, with seeding to be determined by this week’s results.

In 4A competition, Cimarron-Memorial (4-0) and The Meadows (4-0) share the lead in the Desert League entering the final week of the regular season. Desert Oasis (5-0) leads the 4A Mountain League standings, Liberty (6-0) leads the Lake League, and Valley (6-0) has secured the No 1 seed in the Sky league.

Boulder City (4-0) holds the top spot in 3A Southern action with a week to go.

Contact Jeff Wollard at jwollard@reviewjournal.com.