Solid at the start
Kiley McConnell watches as she hits her ball onto the green on the first hole during the Flatfish Invitational on Monday at the Whitefish Lake Golf Club.
Shelby Ballard of Glacier, right, and Andrea Battello of Flathead watch as Ballard hits her ball onto the green on hole one during the Flatfish Invite on Monday at the Whitefish Lake Golf Club.
It wasn't her best round of the season ...
Nor was it her worst.
So let's just call it a solid performance for what has been a super fall golf season thus far for Whitefish's Kiley McConnell.
McConnell shot a 3-under 79 on Monday for the first-round lead in the Flatfish Invitational at Whitefish Lake Golf Club.
The senior carded six pars on both nines of the 5,361-yard South Course, shooting a 38 on the front to go with a 41 on the back.
Her 79 was just one shot off her best score ever on the South Course. She posted a 78 at the 4th of July Tournament this summer.
"I was in a few bunkers," she said of the opening round.
"My driver got me into a little trouble, but I decided not to think about that too much. Otherwise it gets to your head."
McConnell opened by shooting 4-4-4-4 on the first four holes. Three of those 4s were for pars.
"I had a couple of 3-putt (greens today)," she said.
"I definitely need to work on my chipping ... putting. The short game always needs some work."
McConnell holds a six-shot advantage on teammate Danielle McCully, who shot 85.
Only two players broke 90.
Whitefish is first in the team standings with a 355 total. Polson is well back in second place, 400, with Glacier third, 407.
McConnell has earned medalist honors in three outings to date - Anaconda, Ronan and Great Falls.
She shot 79 at Old Works, to finish 11 shots ahead of the field, and 77 at Mission Mountain Golf Course, where she won by nine shots.
In the Great Falls Invitational last week, she carded a season best 74 on opening day at Meadow Lark Country Club and followed that with a season high 82 at Eagle Falls Golf Course. McConnell and Katie Fish of C.M. Russell, who shot 75-81-156, tied for first, but McConnell won medalist honors on a scoreboard playoff.
McConnell trailed by one shot after the first day of that event.
"I'm surprised by it," she said of placing first at all three meets.
"There are a ton of great golfers in A and AA."
She admits, however, that to win every tournament this fall would be a difficult task.
"There is great competition in the state and we don't get to play those teams (from eastern Montana in the regular season until state)."
State is Oct. 1-2 in Laurel.
McConnell finished fourth at state last year.
"I've been able to play a little more consistent this year," she said.
"Last year I had some ups and downs."
McConnell and the girls head for Indian Springs today for the final 18 holes.
Twelve schools are competing in the tournament.
Glacier, led by Logan Iverson and Ryan Porch, have the Wolfpack on top of the team standings with a 310 total after Monday's round for boys at Indian Springs. Iverson shot a 75, which puts him in fourth place, and Porch was right behind him with a 76, where he is fifth.
Missoula Hellgate is second, 311, followed by Missoula Sentinel, 323.
Colin Gunstream of Hellgate shot a 71 to top the leader board. Reed Platke of Whitefish is tied for second with Brad Palin of Hamilton. Both shot 75.
Flathead's Michael Lavin finished with a 78, which ties him with Andy Boyer of Glacier for seventh place.
The boys play their final round today at Whitefish Lake.
Flatfish Invitational
Monday's Results
Girls
Whitefish Lake Golf Club
Team Totals
Whitefish 355, Polson 400, Glacier 407, Missoula Hellgate 415, Flathead 422, Columbia Falls 463, Browning 487
Top 10
Kiley McConnell, Whitefish 79
Danielle McCully, Whitefish 85
Mairi Wolverton, Sentinel 94
Erin Tabish, Whitefish 95
Amy Williamson, Polson 95
Klaire Taylor, Whitefish 96
Anna DiGiallondardo, Polson 96
Andrea Battello, Flathead 98
Jackie Wells, Hellgate 100
Shea Stevens, Glacier 100
By Team
WHITEFISH (355) - Kiley McConnell 79, Danielle McCully 85, Erin Tabish 95, Emma Dowaliby 114, Klaire Taylor 96
POLSON (400) - Amy Williamson 95, Anna DiGiallondardo 96, Jaylin Kenney 112, Makaliah Wilson 105, Kat Medlund 104
GLACIER (407) - Shelby Ballard 102, Shea Stevens 100, Kaydee Aurich 104, Hannah Davis 101, Terri Mattson 115
HELLGATE (415) - Jackie Wells 100, Katia Martens 103, Lyndsey Christian 102, Shaelea Gariepy 110
FLATHEAD (422) - Andrea Battello 98, Jourdan McFarland 102, Jaycee Rocha 111, Geneva Zoltek 111, Jessica Abbrecia 116
COLUMBIA FALLS (463) - Michele Hagen 114, Courtney Tamburelli 112, Maggie Panusuk 130, Nika Ceratova 107
BROWNING (487) - Ashton Smith 103, Jessica Magee 118, Angie Ironpipe 124, Whitney Morris 142 -----
MISSOULA BIG SKY - Kayln Brown 124
HAMILTON - Mashaela Conway 133, Emily Winters 122, Alyssa Heath 121 MISSOULA SENTINEL - Mari Wolverton 94, Gwen Lockman 119, Kate Hopkins 138
WHITEFISH JV - Simone Craft 116
GLACIER JV - Mallory Skinn 104, Karlee Omsburg 112, Whitley Newberry 124
FLATHEAD JV (495) - Ellie Lapp 116, Courtney Diehl 120, Carly Diehl 128, MacKenzie Williams 131
Boys
Indian Springs Ranch Golf Club
In Eureka
Team Totals
Glacier 310, Missoula Hellgate 311, Missoula Sentinel 323, Hamilton 326, Whitefish 329, Polson 341, Flathead 344, Missoula Big Sky 348, Stevensville 370, Columbia Falls 373, Libby 402
TOP TEN:
Colin Gunstream, Hellgate 71
Reed Platke, Whitefish 74
Brad Palin, Hamilton 74
Logan Iverson, Glacier 75
Ryan Porch, Glacier 76
Hayden Congdon, Polson 77
Andy Boyer, Glacier 78
Michael Lavin, Flathead 78
Eli Rogers, Hamilton 79
Derek Colberg, Sentinel 79
Kendrick Lee, Glacier 79
Pat Colberg, Hellgate 79
By Team
Glacier (310) - Ryan Porch 76, Logan Iverson 75, Andy Boyer 78 (80 after 2-stroke penalty for being late to the bus), Tyson Howe 81, Kendrick Lee 79
Hellgate (311) - Colin Gunstream 71, Anders Nord 80, Sebastian Robitaille 81, Evan Schultz 93, Pat Colberg 79
SentineL (323) - Derek Colberg 79, Alec Shull 83, Robbie Jacobsen 82, Rory Mill 83, Kyle White 79
Hamilton (326) - Brad Palin 74, Tyler Jessop 86, Eli Rogers 79, Kyle Lubke 87, Dillon Francis 117
Whitefish (329) - Reed Platke 74, Arthur Doorn 82, Camp Kenyon 83, Dylan Parr 90, Iaian Cameron 96
Polson (341) - Cody Fischer 84, Hayden Congdon 77, Dakota Jenson 82, Logan Howell 104, Austin Von Tom 98
Flathead (344) - Michael Lavin 78, Max Applegate 90, Andrew Olson 87, Remington Barnes 91, Dylan Nelson 89
Big Sky (348) - Casey Diaz 81, Hudson Ruiz 89, Stephen Schmidt 90, Aaron Koerner 88, Wyatt Smith 95
Stevensville (370) - Milan Pluchy 82, Nigel McCallum 94, Blake Servoss 96, Clayton Rea 98, Corbin Disney 103
Columbia Falls (373) - Parker Johnson 82, Jordan Mueller 95, Nick Emerson 89, Brian Marcille 107
Libby (402) - Louis Cielak 95, Chris Campbell 99, Byron Benefield 98, Carson Whitmarsh 116, Morgan Wilkins 110
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Glacier JV (347) - Kevin Talcott 84, Cody Buck 89, Dillon Eaves 81, Austin Hilde 101, Devin Myren 93
Flathead JV (380) - Erik Karolak 95, Jake Williams 97, Joseph LoPresti 117, Ben Tanberg 97, Cory Felde 91
Whitefish JV - Carl Talsma 82, Kyler Blades 87, Kyle Barron 95
Browning - Ryan Hoyt 86, Frank Harrison 89, Jonathan Skunkcap 107