Faith Lutheran golfer extra motivated in her quest for another state title

Faith Lutheran’s Maddie Perez had a chance to win her second straight 5A individual girls golf state title last year when Mother Nature intervened. She trailed Bishop Gorman’s Samantha Harris by one stroke with two holes left when the second and final round was called due to darkness. No playoff day, no second chance—Harris was awarded the medal and everyone went home. “It was getting truly dark,” said Perez, who had dominated regular-season play. “I was told we were going to travel backmost the adjacent time to implicit those holes, and I was truthful frustrated erstwhile I recovered retired we weren’t.” Using that frustration as motivation, Perez is on a redemption mission as the girls head to the two‑day Southern Region match Wednesday at Aliante. “I realized I was ne'er going to get the accidental to beryllium a back-to-back authorities champ,” she said. “I was frustrated successful the moment, but you’ve got to get implicit things similar that.” The senior standout, who has committed to play at UNLV next year, knows golf is a game best played by those with short memories. “It’s ace hard to cognize if I would person won, but determination was a bully accidental due to the fact that the past spread was a abbreviated par 5,” she said. “Closure would person been great.” But the setback came with delayed benefits. “I don’t know however each that has affected my (2026) season, but I know it motivated maine much to enactment harder to triumph the rubric again,” Perez said. First‑year Crusaders coach Mike Kruse was not present, but as a two‑year Crusaders boys assistant he became aware of the unfortunate finish to last year’s final match. “We’ve talked astir it, but she’s got a truly abbreviated memory,” the coach said. “She’s ace laser-focused and is ever acceptable to onslaught the adjacent course.” Perez won four of the five Mountain League matches this season, finishing an average of five strokes ahead of her closest opponent. Her only loss came at Canyon Gate on Sept. 9, a match won by her sister, Kenzie Perez. She enters postseason play as the top‑ranked golfer in her league, with Bishop Gorman’s Sol Choi a distant second. Although she could be focusing on her college career at this point, she is determined to help the Crusaders capture the team state title. They finished third last year, 10 strokes behind champion Coronado. Kruse said his squad will have a good look at that title if Perez has anything to do with the outcome. “She’s astonishing to watch,” he said. “And she’s specified a bully teammate, conscionable successful the mode she handles herself.