Newman’s Leighton ties for 22nd at NCS golf

Cardinal Newman sophomore Abby Leighton shot a 7-over-par 78 in the CIF-North Coast Section Division 1 golf championship Monday to tie for 22nd among the 145 golfers who competed.

Teams from Healdsburg and Petaluma also competed in the tournament, but neither filled their card to register a score on the tough Tilden Park Golf Course layout in Berkeley.

Leighton, medalist in the NCS Division 2 tournament last week with a 2-under 69 at Peacock Gap in San Rafael, was six strokes off the leading score, a 1-over 72 carded by Charlotte Ryoo of Amador Valley.

Tifany Vanvranken was Healdsburg’s top scorer with a 104, and Lilly Catarozoli led the Petaluma contingent with a 96 on the par-71 layout.

The top three girls teams plus the top four girls individual placers not on a qualifying team qualified for the CIF Nor-Cal Championship, which will be held next Monday in Lodi. No local golfers qualified for that event.

Newman polo seeded third

Cardinal Newman’s boys water polo team drew a No. 3 seed in NCS Division 3 and drew a first-round bye. The Cardinals will face the winner of No. 6 Livermore and No. 11 Granada in a second-round game Saturday at Contra Costa College.