Darian Zachek earns her spot among New Mexico's best girls golfers

Deming High baseball coach Kevin Zachek, a casual player at best, took his 7-year-old daughter, Darian Zachek, to a golf course one day just for recreational purposes. Little did he know that he had just launched a career that could take her far into the future.

Darian recalled simply, "I fell in love with the game."

Now a two-time defending state champion and a senior at Deming High, Darian stressed, "I've done it all on my own, but he pushes me because he knows that's what I want to do. You have to find motivation in yourself and try to get better."

No one out-works the 5-foot-5 dynamo, and her dad has been studying the game ever since to help his daughter, who began playing in tournaments at age 8.

Kevin believes Darian's career was given a jumpstart at age 12 while playing in the U.S. Kids National Championship at famed Pinehurst, N.C., where she was severely outplayed in a practice round by an out-of-state golfer, Marijosse Navarro.

He recalled, "She birdied the first 11 holes and out-drove Darian by 40 yards. I'd never seen her eyes so big. It was a huge eye-opener and a little intimidating. It really motivated her and she has been working really hard at it (ever since)."

By the time she reached eighth grade, Darian not only made the Deming varsity squad, but she played No. 1. She averaged 80.15 strokes per 18-hole round and finished second in the Class 4A state tournament by two shots.

"It wasn't really a surprise to me," she said confidently, "because I had been to the range, but it was an accomplishment because they were a good team (Deming now has won six consecutive state titles.) I think I earned my spot."

Deming coach James Williams wasn't surprised, either. He noted, "She was our best player right from the start. Her strength is that she has no weakness. It was pretty evident that she was hungry enough that she never got complacent. She's an exceptionally hard worker. There's fire in her belly, for sure."

Her drive to be the best sends her to the golf course Monday through Friday after school, most of the day on Saturday and a couple hours on Sunday throughout the year.

Continued hard work enabled her to lower her average to 77 as a freshman and she once drilled an approach shot from 140 feet. She again placed second in the state tourney to the same player, Belen senior Taylar Jaramillo.

"I was not satisfied," she said. "I knew I left some shots out there that could have gotten me the title."

Darian exploded as a sophomore, putting together a career-best average of 73.76 and winning her first Class 4A state title by a wide margin. She fired three rounds in the 60s, including a school-record 67.

She recalled, "I just paid attention to the little things. I focused a lot on my short game and my approach shots were a lot closer. Consistency would be the right word."

Her junior year was marred by tendinitis in her wrist from overuse, forcing her to miss four matches. After her unwanted rest she was a little rusty, probably causing her average to rise (75). However, she still was able to break her own school record with a 65 (which included a double- eagle) and win her second consecutive state championship.

Another mishap has struck her this spring - a skateboard accident in early March.

Darian explained, "I don't skate very much. I had a daredevil moment. I was riding downhill, couldn't make the turn, fell and hurt my knee. I had to get seven stitches. I missed one tournament, but still practiced my putting. It's healed up now and back to normal."

She already has carded rounds of 67, 68 and 69 and currently has a career-best average of 72.71. Plus, her team has beaten the school record twice with rounds of 303 and 302. She believes this is Deming's best team, even better than the last six state champions.

Darian is at her peak now thanks to off-the-course weightlifting and running.

Thanks to weightlifting four days a week she can hit drives up to 240 yards. She also runs a couple days a week and her stamina is better than ever.

She recalled, "I used to get tired toward the end of 36-hole tournaments. Now that I am in shape, it's a lot easier to finish the round and I'm almost as fresh as when I started."

The Deming star will need every ounce of strength when the state tournament is held May 11-12. She will be playing in Class 6A for the first time and will tangle with Cleveland (Rio Rancho) junior star Dominique Galloway, who has captured the last two Class 5A state titles. There will be only one winner this time.

Though 3 1/2 hours apart, the two golf stars have known each other since their early teens and often compete in summer tournaments. Darian estimates that they probably have come close to splitting their various competitions.

"Our scores are very similar," Darian noted. "We were on the Junior America's Cup team (representing New Mexico) three years ago and have been pretty close ever since."

When the dynamic duo goes head-to-head for the first time in a state high school tournament, Darian says, "This is going to be an exciting finish to my high school career. I think we're both excited to compete against each other and it's going to be fun. I think we both will be pretty nervous, but I like feeling nervous because it makes me more focused."

Even though she is so razor-sharply focused on golf, Darian is quite well-rounded in her everyday life.

* She belongs to the Future Farmers of America and, along with her sixth-grade sister, Kamryn, raises goats. She was first in her class a couple years ago. She claims that "Goats have really cool personalities. They are like little people. You've got to keep their pens clean. They will chew buttons right off your clothes."

* She is a member of the state championship agronomy team.

* She does sculptures and has displayed some at art shows.

* She has a perfect 4.0 GPA and is tied for class valedictorian.

* She has a full scholarship to the University of New Mexico, where she plans to dream big.

"I will try to qualify for every tournament and be No. 1," she revealed. "I'd like to be Freshman of the Year in the Mountain West. In the long run I'd like to play professionally."

Coach Williams believes his young star eventually could take golf all the way to the top. He noted, "I don't know if there is a limit (on her career). She could end up on the (LPGA) tour."

Williams steadfastly has stated that Darian could be one of the best ever out of New Mexico.

He said, "I don't go back to Nancy Lopez or Kathy Whitworth (both Hall-of-Famers from New Mexico). It's really hard to compare eras, but against her contemporaries her resume is exceptional."

Darian actually has met Lopez and Whitworth. She listened to them at clinics and has a book autographed by Whitworth.

She admits, "It's cool to think about my name coming up with Nancy Lopez and Kathy Whitworth. (But) I haven't reached my goals yet, so I can't be satisfied with that."