Central Valley's varsity girls golf team kept its playoff hopes alive this past week.

The Hawks improved to 5-3 in the Western Athletic Conference standings after topping Pacheco and Los Banos for the second time this season.

"We put ourselves in a good spot," Central Valley head coach Kelly Wheelock said. "Us, Los Banos and Patterson are fighting for second place. Our girls are putting the work in. They're getting better."

Central Valley defeated host Pacheco 329-365 on Thursday at Pheasant Run Golf Course.

Freshman Amelia Daoheung led the Hawks with a 20-over-par 56.

Paulina Diaz, Emily Almanza, Fiona Gay and sophomore Esmeralda Lopez shot 63, 64, 70 and 76, respectively.

Visiting Central Valley edged Los Banos 318-326 on Wednesday at Pheasant Run.

Daoheung paced the Hawks with a 50.

Almanza, Diaz, Lopez and Gay shot 64, 66, 68 and 70, respectively.

"Four of our five girls were in the 60s or lower," Wheelock said. "That's the first time that's happened in a couple years. The bigger courses are tougher for our girls to play on. They don't practice on them."

Almanza matched her career-best score at Pheasant Run.

"She had a good week," Wheelock said. "She hit the ball and putted well. She didn't waste a lot of shots."

Emily, Fiona and Paulina are veteran players.

Almanza and Gay started competing for the Hawks as freshmen.

Diaz, a third-year member, took last season off.

Central Valley finished sixth in the 2016 WAC overall standings.

The Hawks posted a 2-8 record during the conference dual season.

"The girls are a lot more competitive this year," Wheelock said. "They're more curious now as far as paying attention to it (team scores). I don't know if it's because it's senior year."

CHS loses by forfeit
Ceres High's varsity girls golf program lost by forfeit to Livingston and Patterson last week due to a thin lineup.

Five players are needed to post a team score during Western Athletic Conference play.

The Bulldogs had just three girls in uniform during Thursday's loss to visiting Livingston at St. Stanislaus Golf Course.

I'm not happy about it," said Ceres High head coach Brandon Dunn, who had a five-person lineup at the beginning of the season. "Hopefully, next year, we get more girls on the team in case we run into this problem again."

Ariana Medina led Ceres High with a 13-over-par 41.

"That was her best score of the year," Dunn said. "She had a good day. She was comfortable out there."

Bulldog teammates Alexandra Potts and Bailey Showen finished with rounds of 50 and 51, respectively.

Medina, Potts and Showen posted identical scores of 65 against host Patterson on Oct. 3 at Diablo Grande.

Izabell McMurray carded a 73.

Medina, Potts, Showen and McMurray will continue to battle for points in the WAC's individual standings.

"Their scores still count during duals," Dunn said.

Ceres High (1-7) will compete against crosstown-rival Central Valley today at St. Stanislaus. The match will get underway at 2:15 p.m.