Whitefish, Polson golfers eye state titles

A group of dedicated Whitefish students used an off-day from school to get ready for their final exam later this week.

We'll find out Saturday afternoon if it was time well spent.

Members of the girls and boys WHS golf teams traveled to Polson on Monday to play the Polson Bay Golf Club, a last ditch effort to get familiar with the course and its layout with the state meet scheduled to begin there on Friday at 9 a.m.

It was the first chance Whitefish golfers had to play the course this fall.

"You have to have pretty good course management," Whitefish coach Terry Nelson said to shoot well at Polson Bay.

"Be patient. It's not one you can overpower. It's not terribly long, my boys probably wish it was longer. For the girls, it's fine."

Whitefish and Polson are regarded as the two favorites in team play for the girls title. Anaconda could also be in the mix.

For the boys, Whitefish, Billings Central, Hamilton, Livingston will all field quality teams.

"It looks pretty good," Nelson said.

"I like our chances. I think were pretty deep, both ways (girls and boys). We have good players at 3-4-5, so I think that's an advantage for us."

Nelson does not think Polson will have a big advantage playing at home.

"Greater expectations, more personal pressure," he said.

"We've won a lot more times away from home than we have at home."

Whitefish and Polson will also have a lot to say on who captures medalist honors.

For the girls, Polson has Julia DiGiallonardo and Natalia Arlint.

Quinn Micklewright, Kylie McConnell and BreAnna Cameron will contend for Whitefish.

Micklewright was third at state last year, while DiGiallonardo finished seventh and Cameron tied for eighth. Micklewright will be competing in her fourth state meet. It was be the third for Cameron, a junior.

For the boys, Tyler Engebretsen of Polson, Whitefish's Reed Platke, Joel Mallams, Ryan Zalucky and Daniel Markus are leading contenders on the individual front.

A couple more names worth keeping an eye on are Steven Schuster of Bigfork and Zach Watson of Libby.

"It's been a pretty good season," Nelson said.

"We've played like I expected us to. I think we've gotten better (boys and girls). The boys have really made some progress."

The Whitefish boys were shooting for a fourth-straight Class A title last year at Old Works Golf Course in Anaconda. Instead, they settled for third place behind Hamilton and Billings Central.

The Whitefish girls, on the strength of a super second day, finished on top for a second-straight year.

Glendive and Polson were second and third, respectively.

Weather could play a factor in the two-day event.

"Snow is in the forecast," Nelson said.

"A high of 45-49 Friday and Saturday, 20s at the night. Not perfect weather."

Nelson doesn't expect it will affect his players that much.

"They don't care," he said.

"Some of them are skiers. They can find their way around in the cold weather."