A pair of Santa Cruz County talents shined at the IMG Academy Junior World Championships in La Jolla last week. The three-day tournament concluded Friday.

Soquel’s Hunter Williams tied for 10th place out of 73 golfers entered in the boys’ 7-8 division, and Santa Cruz’s Kaeden Schabel tied for 36th place out of 105 golfers entered in the boys’ 9-10 division.

Williams shot a 2-over-par 224 total on Torrey Pines’ South Course, with rounds of 74, 73 and 77. Skyy Wilding of Thailand won the division with a 17-under 205 total.

“I’m very satisfied with how I played,” said Williams, who took up the sport as a 2-year-old at Seascape Golf Club. “I shot 1-under on Day 2. That’s an accomplishment.”

He improved his game with regular sessions at DeLaveaga Golf Course in Santa Cruz and Crazy Horse in Salinas.

Williams is elated that his finish will be printed in the IMG Academy tournament program.

“Hopefully they spell my name right,” he said.

Williams is a well-traveled youngster. He took third place in the boys’ 7-year-old division at the U.S. Kids Golf Foundation’s World Championships in Southern Pines, N.C., in 2021.

He’ll compete in the tournament again in August.

Due to the high cost of living in the area, he and his family are relocating to St. Augustine, Florida, this week. Williams recently completed third grade at Main Street Elementary in Soquel.

Schabel shot a 13-over 229 total, firing off rounds of 79, 76 and 74.

Japan’s Hiroto Ozawa survived a playoff for medalist honors in the 9-10 division after he, Takrit Supagonchoowong of Thailand and Axel Monssoh of Miami shot 7-under 209 totals in regulation.

U.S. Senior Women’s Open qualifying >> Santa Cruz’s Melissa Spencer shot 7-over-par 80 and missed the cut at U.S. Senior Women’s Open qualifying at Sierra View Country Club in Roseville on Monday.

The low five scorers advanced to the U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship at NCR Country Club (South Course) in Kettering, Ohio, on Aug. 25-28. Securing spots were Teresa Ishiguro (69) of Ione, Karen Garcia (72) of Cool, Sally Krueger (75) of San Francisco, Lynne Cowan (75) of Rocklin, and Tina Barker (76) of Fairfield, who survived a three-player playoff for the final berth.

Powerlifting

Legendary Lynchburg Showdown >> Caleb Martin, a 23-year-old Aptos High alum, placed fourth out of 52 lifters with a Wilks 2020 score of 572.91 at the USPC Legendary Lynchburg Showdown in Lynchburg, Virginia, on Saturday.

Martin, a former football and wrestling standout for the Mariners, weighs 271.6 pounds. He totaled 1,867.3 pounds, lifting 650.3 in the squat, 502.6 on the bench, and 714.3 in the deadlift.