HEMET — For the second consecutive year, the Palm Desert High School girls' golf team captured the CIF Eastern Division championship.

The Aztecs blew away the 15-team field with a school record total of 375, featuring all five players shooting in the 70s at the Seven Hills Golf Club in Hemet. The previous school record was 388.

The Aztecs topped second-place Peninsula by 19 strokes and advanced to the Southern Section Championship on Monday.

This is the Aztecs' third title in four years and the 10th consecutive year Palm Desert qualified for the South Sectional Championship.

“We played it (Seven Hills) a few times and we just tried to keep it under the whole time,” said sophomore Kimmy Hill, the Desert Valley League individual champion who posted a personal best of even-par 72. “We just kept going after it because we want to win it every year and be playing for the state title.”

Junior Bow Salotti carded 73, but according to coach Jack Stewart, had it going early on and was 3-under at one point. Senior Lauren Mata scored 75, sophomore Allie Zech finished at 77 and sophomore Cha Cha Wilhoite closed it out with a 78. Kathryn Randazzo was the sixth player and shot 88. (The lowest five scores are used for the team total.)

“We were all ready to grab the championship again,” said Salotti, whose team moves onto Mountain Meadows Golf Course in Pomona for the Southern Section championship. “We all had the right mental game today and we had to sneak another one for Lauren (Mata is the team's lone senior). We know we have what it takes to win at the next level and we have to take this momentum to Mountain Meadows.”

Stewart said the Aztecs played well, but still have room to go lower.

“We've had good rounds but we came together as a team as far as having that one good round — today was that day,” he said. “Again, we could do better. Even Allie and Cha Cha were (talking) all the way home that they could have gone lower.”

Stewart said he started to feel confident that the Aztecs could take another crown at the turn, but he knew the team was heading into record territory when he saw that Salotti was at 1-under, then 2-under, then 3-under.

“After nine holes I was very confident, “ he said. “The course was as good as we've ever seen it and the greens were the highlight of the course. They were smooth. They putted well and to shoot 15 over as a team you have to putt well. All the cylinders were working. Nineteen shots is a good victory, the biggest we've had in CIF.”

The Aztecs will be joined in the Southern Section event by Peninsula, third-place Santa Margarita (397) and Northwood (411). La Quinta was also a participant and finished in the middle of the pack at 433. The Blackhawks were led by Raychelle Santos at 74, Natascha Wiebe at 76, while Jaclyn Van Natta (88), Samantha Van Natta (93), and Erin Paradis (100) rounded out the top five. Wiebe will play in the CIF Individuals on Thursday at Talega Country Club in San Clemente.

Palm Desert needs to place in the top four Monday to advance to the WSCGA Championship.