Glacier's Avery defends Class AA state golf title
BOZEMAN — Glacier junior Teigan Avery won her second straight Class AA individual girls state golf championship on Friday afternoon at Bridger Creek Golf Course, rallying from five shots down after the first day and four strokes with three holes to play to win a playoff.
Sitting at 5-over-par for her round heading to the 16th tee box, Avery had some ground to make up. Billings West’s Hayden Flohr was playing 1-over and only needed to play to par to win.
“I didn’t think I could do any better than third,” Avery said. “I was disappointed and down on myself. I wasn’t expecting to do a whole lot.”
Avery made up half her deficit on the 16th, shooting par on the hole while Flohr shot double bogey. Avery birdied each of the next two holes to make up the rest, finishing her round at 3-over 74 and 151 for the tournament to force a playoff. Each player shot a 77 on Thursday to enter the day five strokes back in second place.
Taking the honor on the first playoff hole, Avery roped her drive down the middle of the fairway and was on the green in two. Flohr’s tee shot went left into the trees and after chunking her second shot back into the fairway, she hit the green on her third shot. The Golden Bears junior then two-putted for bogey.
Avery needed to two-putt to win the championship and took both shots, finishing at par on the hole.
“It went about as well as I could have hoped,” Avery said of the playoff hole.
“It’s still hard to believe. I’m just sitting here now realizing I did win, again. It’s crazy. It’s so hard to believe.”
Avery’s 151 was six shots higher than her total last year, when she topped then two-time defending champion Kortney McNeil at the Missoula Country Club and Canyon River Golf Course. McNeil, now a senior, finished tied for sixth this season for Billings Senior.
First-round leader Shealyn Hafer of Butte shot a 10 on a par-3 early and had to fight back to finish with an 80, one stroke off the leaders in third place.
“There’s some really mean pins out there,” Avery said. “They were not very nice to us. That’s just how a state tournament is supposed to be done ... The course was in great condition.”
The win marked the fourth major win of the season for Avery, who won the Montana State Golf Association junior championship, the Callaway Junior World Qualifier and the prestigious Big ‘I’ junior state qualifier, the last of which was also held at Bridger Creek.
“Last year was a relief,” Avery said of her first state championship. “This year I feel like I can enjoy it more.”
Flathead’s Jenna Jensen (80-86—166) finished as an all-state placer in ninth. The Bravettes finished ahead of Glacier in the team standings, placing sixth to the Wolfpack’s eighth.
Glacier boys Cody Sherrill (73-78—151) and Scott Larson (76-75—151) tied each other for seventh place to finish all-state and help the Wolfpack to a third place team finish. Flathead’s Ryan Keenan (76-79—155) was 15th as the Braves finished 11th as a team.
Billings West swept the team titles for the second straight year. Billings Senior’s Sean Benson won the boys medal by one stroke, shooting a tournament-low 1-under par 70 in the final round.
Class AA State Golf Tournament
Friday
At Bridger Creek Golf Course
Par 71 (36-35)
Boys
Team scores
Billings West 608, Billings Senior 624, Glacier 632, Great Falls CMR 632, Helena Capital 634, Butte 648, Bozeman 653, Great Falls 656, Helena 659, Hellgate 663, Flathead 675, Billings Skyview 677, Missoula Sentinel 690, Missoula Big Sky 731
All-State
Name Score
Sean Benson, Senior 75-70—145
Joey Moore, West 72-74—146
Payton Stott, Skyview 73-73—146
Connor Brown, Bozeman 78-69—147
Austin Walter, Senior 75-75—150
Tevin Lewis, Capital 79-71—150
Cody Sherrill, Glacier 73-78—151
Scott Larson, Glacier 76-75—151
Trey Hoagland, Butte 75-77—152
Colton Hunt, West 75-77—152
Cory Preshinger, Capital 75-78—153
Caleb Trost, West 80-73—153
Easton Enott, CMR 76-78—154
Allen Rogers, CMR 79-75—154
Ryan Keenan, Flathead 76-79—155
Individual scores
Tom Mann, Glacier 79-77—156
Mark Solomon, CMR 77-80—157
Garrett Woodin, West 78-79—157
Devin Bray, Hellgate 81-77—158
Finn Mikkola, Hellgate 77-82—159
Schafer Paladichuk, Great Falls 80-79—159
Kienan Stief, Helena 73-87—160
Cody Babinecz, Great Falls 77-83—160
Patrick Zimmer, Senior 81-79—160
Tyson Odden, Bozeman 85-75—160
Barron Culver, Capital 79-82—161
Houston Green, Butte 81-80—161
Parker Elliot, West 82-80—162
Rayce Compton, Big Sky 83-80—163
Nate Fuge, Sentinel 84-79—163
Isak Nord, Hellgate 83-82—165
Sean Ramsbacher, Sentinel 89-76—165
Will Kilmer, Butte 85-81—166
Logan Teegarden, Helena 89-77—166
Matthew Marshall, Flathead 84-83—167
Cole Stenzel, CMR 90-77—167
Tyler Strickland, Great Falls 87-81—168
Logan Martin, Skyview 88-80—168
Keaton Sunchild, Great Falls 82-87—169
Adam Henneberry, Senior 83-86—169
Jack O’Donnell, Bozeman 85-84—169
Isaiah Weldon, Butte 89-80—169
Travis Wright, Helena 91-78—169
Talon Burchard, Helena 87-83—170
Braxton Humphrey, Senior 86-86—172
Sean Wilson, Skyview 87-86—173
Jacob Welch, Flathead 87-86—173
Riley Lawrenc, Capital 86-88—174
Sam Stern, Glacier 90-84—174
Skyler Skinne, Capital 91-84—175
Duncan Holla, CMR 91-86—177
Blake Hasquet, Sentinel 88-90—178
Will Holloran, Bozeman 90-88—178
Owen Hathaway, Helena 85-94—179
Jake Quinn, Big Sky 90-89—179
Evan Miles, Flathead 99-81—180
River Duce, Hellgate 90-91—181
Brayden Hall, Bozeman 94-87—181
Will Hoagland, Butte 91-92—183
James Martin, Sentinel 95-89—184
Kolten Kostelecky, Sentinel 96-92—188
Tanner Thelen, Great Falls 93-96—189
Riley McVey, Big Sky 97-94—191
Nathan Rodecker, Skyview 99-92—191
Aiden Chisholm, Hellgate 98-95—193
Nick Weaver, Flathead 101-97—198
Tyson Gentri, Big Sky 105-93—198
Riley Nelson, Glacier 106-94—200
Jameson Williems, Skyview 111-91—202
Carter Westphal, Big Sky 107-103—210
Girls
Team scores
Billings West 682, Butte 726, Missoula Hellgate 731, Billings Senior 736, Bozeman 741, Flathead 756, Great Falls 756, Glacier 774, Helena 775, Great Falls CMR 776, Helena Capital 795, Billings Skyview 820, Missoula Sentinel 826
All-State
Name Score
Teigan Avery, Glacier 77-74—151*
Hayden Flohr, West 77-74—151
Shealyn Hafer, Butte 72-80—152
Hannah Zwemke, West 77-79—156
Mike’la Atkinson, West 80-78—158
Kortney McNeil, Senior 78-81—159
Maddie Trent, Helena 81 -80—161
Rylie Carmichael, CMR 84-81—165
Jenna Jensen, Flathead 80-86—166
Hailey Ogolin, Butte 85-85—170
Bridget Beyer, Bozeman 83-87—170
Shelby Van Hemelryck, Capital 89-86—175
Emma Dyre, Senior 90-88—178
Hannah Rosanova, Bozeman 84-95—179
Catrina Babinecz, Great Falls 95-87—182
Jenna Herrick, Helena 90-92—182
Susie Hawthorne, Helena 92-90—182
Individual scores
Casey Babinecz, Great Falls 90-95—185 Morgan Knutson, Flathead 88-97—185 Jalen Wagner, Senior 88-98—186 Abigail Davidson, Great Falls 92-96—188 Claire Inman, Helena 94-95—189 Weslee Nehl, Helena 94-95—189 Kyersten Seibenaler, Glacier 96-94—190 Savanna Voyles, CMR 93-98—191 Delaney Schmidt, Skyview 92-100—192 Ashton McCloskey, Butte 97-98—195 Angela King, Skyview 99-97—196 Emily Moran, Bozeman 101-95—196 Rebecca Knutson, Flathead 93-104—197 Sara Mitchell, Sentinel 98-99—197 Kameryn Basye, Bozeman 102-96—198 Mari Pizzini, Helena 96-103—199 Jamie Wilson, Capital 97-102—199 Ryen Meeks, Bozeman 106-94—200 Sydnee Nowlen, Sentinel 104-96—200 Kayla Slavik, Great Falls 98-103—201 Rowan Rankin, Helena 97-105—202 McKenna Tinseth, Glacier 104-99—203 Gillian Kitchell, CMR 106-98—204 Ashley Puyear, Helena 103-101—204 Sidney Lamb, Capital 104-100—204 Kara Hogan, Helena 105-101—206 Liz Lorentz, Flathead 107-101—208 Lexie Williams, Butte 98-111—209 Mackenna Van Soest, Sentinel 108-103—211 Shayla Johnson, Big Sky 107-105—212 Madison Bartleson, Skyview 101-112—213 Allie Bofto, Senior 105-108—213 Addison Beagles, CMR 107-109—216 Hillary Smith, West 102-115—217 Renae Hiesler, Great Falls 108-109—217 Amber O’Mara, Capital 109-108—217 Liz Basolo, Sentinel 106-112—218 Peyton Kimmel, West 111-108—219 Emma Tolzien, Skyview 119-100—219 Toni Calloway, CMR 112-110—222 Brie Finbraaten, Sentinel 111-114—225 Sadie Starcevich, Butte 105-122—227 Sami Ormesher, Big Sky 113-115—228 Sam Mathis, Big Sky 116-112—228 McKenna Hulslander, Glacier 104-126—230 Maddie Keiper, Helena 124-115—239 Emma Epperly, Glacier 114-127—241 Katie Stobie, Flathead 119-122—241 Madi O’Mara, Capital 119-128—247
* — won one-hole playoff