Dating back to 1938, Notre Dame Prep senior Landon Ashcraft did something no other golfer from one of the bigger schools have ever done in Arizona by claiming his third straight Division II state medal last Thursday. Former Camp Verde standout Rip Vaughn won four straight championships from 1973 to 1976 at the “small school” level but there have been no three-time champions at other levels of competition and Ashcraft did it in grand style, holding off his fellow senior teammate Frederick Egnatios by one stroke down the stretch.

Ashcraft was 8-under after the sixth hole on Thursday but he played even par until he birdied the 17th hole to go 9-under-par. Meanwhile, Egnatios posted four birdies in that span to close the gap but a bogie on the 16th gave Ashcraft all the space he needed despite another birdie from Egnatios on the 17th. They both shot par on the 18th to give Ashcraft a 9-under 135 (65-70) and Egnatios shot an 8-under 136 (71-65) to come in one stroke back. Horizon sophomore Easton Reischl shot a bogie on his last hole to finish 7-under (135: 68-69) and another Notre Dame senior in Xander Mulder shot an eagle on the 17th to take fourth (138: 71-67).

The field was so deep, the top ten medalists all shot under par for the tournament with the fourth Notre Dame senior in Cruz Carter taking tenth place with a 1-under 143 (72-71). The field was not as deep on the team side of the event.

Notre Dame shot a 24-under 552 to beat Desert Mountain (583) by 31 strokes. Catalina Foothills and Arcadia tied to take third (591). The margin of victory was the biggest at the D-II level since the Saints beat Seton Catholic 607-642 in 2008. Only the top four score but the final Notre Dame senior in Mile Bauer finished in 26th place.

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Ashcraft is a Texas A&M commit and this was the sixth title for Notre Dame and the second in a row for head coach Scott Watkins. The Saints lost to Ironwood Ridge in 2023 via a scorecard finish. Ashcraft is the fourth Saint to win an individual medal dating back to 2006.