Ryggs runs away at NWA

Ryggs Johnston didn’t need a tune-up tournament.

After a summer full of travel and golf, the Libby junior hit the ground running in his first tournament of the high school season, firing an 11-under 61 to win the Northwest A Kickoff tournament at Whitefish Lake Golf Club on Wednesday.

His round shattered the North Course record of 64, which was previously held by professional golfer Ryan Malby.

Johnston also broke his own junior course record of 65.

“I played pretty good,” Johnston said with a smile after turning in his scorecard.

“You can’t complain with a 61. I mean, there’s a couple of holes out there I can think about where I could have had it down to 59, because that’s kind of the magic number.

“I just tried to play really aggressive just to see if I could get a low number.”

Instead, Johnston happily settled for a 61, which matched his lowest score ever in competition. He also shot 61 in the first round of the Class B state tournament last year at the Marias Valley Golf Course in Shelby on his way to the all-class state record, which he already held after his freshman season.

Johnston entered the tournament intimately familiar with the North Course thanks to appearances in the annual 4th of July Tournament and high school tournaments held at the club.

The familiarity paid off.

“I’ve always liked the Whitefish North,” Johnston said. “It’s one of my favorite courses in the Valley.”

Why wouldn’t it be?

The Arizona State commit dominated the course on Wednesday, racing out to a sizable lead early with a 6-under mark on the front nine. Playing from the white tees, he drove the green on the par-4, 337-yard 13th and made his eagle putt. One of few slipups on the day came on No. 14, where Johnston three-putted for bogey.

“That kind of ruined the 59,” he said.

It didn’t come close to ruining his victory, however.

Johnston ran away from the field for a 13-stroke win over the Hamilton duo of Bryce Reed and Tristen Hanson, which led the Broncs to the boys’ team title with a total score of 320.

Polson finished a close second at 324, and Libby was a distant third at 350.

Whitefish captured the girls’ team title with a 399, narrowly edging Polson at 402. Libby was third with a team score of 446.

Frenchtown’s Courtney Ockum took home the girls’ individual title with an 11-over 83, beating Ronan’s Brooklyn Olson by five strokes.

Whitefish’s Ella Shaw finished third to lead four Bulldogs in the top 13.

Northwest A Kickoff Results

Whitefish Lake Golf Club

North Course

Wednesday

Boys Individual

Ryggs Johnston Libby 61

Bryce Reed Hamilton 74

Tristen Hanson Hamilton 75

Carson McDaniel Polson 75

Matt Hobbs Polson 76

Trey Kelley Polson 79

Zel Frost Stevensville 80

Derek Wolff Frenchtown 81

Tanner Hanson Hamilton 84

Tyler Langton Columbia Falls 85

Logan Lybbert Columbia Falls 86

Cameron Kahle Whitefish 86

Zach Taylor Hamilton 87

Ben Duhame Frenchtown 89

Trey Perkins Columbia Falls 90

Sean Craft Stevensville 92

Drew Brozek Whitefish 92

Sebo Sanders Libby 94

Calvin Nowlan Polson 94

Grant Kahle Whitefish 94

Anthony Camel Ronan 95

Ivan Yazvac Stevensville 95

Colby Emmoas Frenchtown 96

Hogan Kelley Polson 96

Michael McKay Corvallis 97

Nate Hull Corvallis 97

Andrew Freese Libby 97

Riley Vogel Libby 98

Colton Mauler Stevensville 102

Mark Pollock Browning 103

Alex Stein Whitefish 103

Trey Thompson Libby 104

Erik Miller Whitefish 104

Nick Draper Hamilton 106

Luke Schlimgen Corvallis 107

Matt Glenn Corvallis 107

Nic Maetello Frenchtown 107

Reush Powell Columbia Falls 112

Ashton Pintok Corvallis 118

DJ Laycock Columbia Falls 141

Girls Individual

Courtney Ockum Frenchtown 83

Brooklyn Olson Ronan 88

Ella Shaw Whitefish 91

Cali Cannon Polson 93

Maykayla Iabuff Browning 96

Gracie Young Whitefish 97

Amanda Farley Polson 98

Kelci Martin Hamilton 101

Berkley Ellis Polson 101

Sammee Bradeen Libby 102

Keelee Storrud Corvallis 103

Megan Archibald Whitefish 103

Anna Elm Whitefish 108

Cathrine Gustin Frenchtown 109

Harper Armitage Frenchtown 110

Esme Yarbrough Polson 110

Allie Snyder Libby 112

Kendall Reed Whitefish 112

Dainya Polk Browning 113

Sydney Croucher Libby 116

Kahlyn Hagness Libby 116

Haile Spear Hamilton 126

Chloe Patterson Corvallis 128

Signee Storrud Corvallis 129

Hylee Cannon Libby 133

Kalie Patterson Corvallis 149

Boys Team

Hamilton 320

Polson 324

Libby 350

Stevensville 369

Columbia Falls 373

Frenchtown 373

Whitefish 375

Corvallis 408

Browning Incomplete team

Ronan Incomplete team

Girls Team

Whitefish 399

Polson 402

Libby 446

Corvallis 509

Columbia Falls Did not compete

Stevensville Did not compete

Browning Incomplete Team

Frenchtown Incomplete Team

Hamilton Incomplete Team

Ronan Incomplete Team

Great Falls Invite

Flathead’s Marcella Mercer acclimated to high school golf quickly.

The freshman Bravette finished fourth out of 63 girls at the Great Falls Invite, which was held at Meadow Lark Country Club on Monday and Tuesday.

Mercer, the leader after the first round, shot 94 in Round 2 to drop to fourth, but that was still good enough for the best finish among area athletes.

Glacier’s AJ Grande was the top finisher among the boys. He fired a 74-79—153 to place 14th in a loaded field.

Joey Moore, the defending AA state champion from Billings West, posted a tournament-low 65 on Tuesday to overcome a one-shot deficit and take the boys’ individual title.

Bozeman’s Kameryn Basye closed with a 75 in the second and final round, the best score of the week among the girls, to capture the girls’ individual championship and lead the Hawks to a resounding 68-stroke victory in the girls’ team competition.

CMR scraped by Great Falls by three strokes to nab the boys’ team title.

Glacier finished 11th and Flathead was 14th among the boys’ teams, while the Wolfpack tied for ninth and the Bravettes were 11th on the girls’ side.

Great Falls Invite Results

Meadow Lark Country Club

Monday and Tuesday

Boys Individual

Joey Moore 71-65—136

Connor Mora 73-68—141

JR Small 72-70—142

Keaton Sunchild 72-70—142

Jace Rhodes 74-70—144

Duncan Hollar 72-72—144

Tucker Thomas 73-73—146

Ben Kaul 74-72—146

Braxton Humphrey 70-77—147

Cody Brunner 77-72—149

Blake Hasquet 77-74—151

Isaiah Weldon 79-73—152

Tucker Pietrykowski 76-76—152

AJ Grande 74-79—153

Thain Johnson 79-75—154

Rylan Periman 81-73—154

Will Hoagland 83-72—155

Jack Thorsen 79-76—155

Brady Cady 76-80—156

Jack Johnston 79-77—156

Garret Nielson 78-79—157

Blake Loberg 81-78—159

Adams Nedens 81-79—160

Austin Murphy 83-77—160

Bradley De Martino 85-77—162

Zach Harvey 86-78—164

Ryan Harvey 83-81—164

Shawn Ryan 85-79—164

Peyton Streiff 81-85—166

Jack Bright 86-80—166

Ben Huguet 85-81—166

Sam Elliott 85-82—167

Connr Kessler 87-80—167

Tucker Hauer 81-86—167

Tyler Hall 82-86—168

Brayden Aurich 87-81—168

Ezra Epperly 86-82—168

Hank Mesenko 85-83—168

Blake Heintzelman 86-82—168

River Duce 87-81—168

Ryan Domako 86-82—168

Gavin Anderson 84-85—169

Trevor Swanson 90-79—169

Kaven Noctor 84-86—170

Soren Rasmussen 87-83—170

Hunter Berke 89-82—171

Jaden Dennis 87-84—171

Cal Irvine 88-85—173

Holden Gehringer 87-87—174

Dylan Ahlgren 96-79—175

Carsten Quam 83-92—175

Luke Thomson 96-80—176

Tyson St John 85-92—177

Ben Pope 90-89—179

Jacksn Susott 96-83—179

Connor Kieckbusch 98-82—180

Caden Freeman 94-86—180

Gabe Whitman 87-93—180

Brendan Lindseth 94-87—181

Caden Willis 89-92—181

Ethan Purdy 93-89—182

Keaden Morisaki 92-90—182

Spencer Christy 95-88—183

Nico Micheletti 94-90—184

Cole Hasquett 93-91—184

Tyzer Furlong 92-96—188

Andrew Kober 93-98—191

Kade McCulloch 99-93—192

Ben Ebel 99-95—194

Ryan Thomson 97-97—194

Girls Individual

Kameryn Basye 79-75—154

Annika Danenhauer 79-78—157

Carrie Carpetenter 82-86—168

Marcella Mercer 78-94—172

Nevin Larsen 82-92—174

Laurel Ward 88-86—174

Cora Rosanova 83-92—175

Emily Garden 84-91—175

Reyla Williams 91-92—183

Gigi Montague 92-92—184

Ellie T. Jackson 91-93—184

Kyra Brockhausen 96-90—186

Peyton Kimmel 89-101—190

Jalen Wagner 95-97—192

Grace Jones 103-90—193

Lauren Williams 102-94—196

Blair Hebnes 106-91—197

Kielar Jones 106-91—197

Amanda King 99-99—198

Sadie Starcevich 101-98—199

Alexis Night 96-103—199

Meilyn Armstrong 104-96—200

Raelynn Bruyere 99-101—200

Kelliann Neary 103-98—201

Sev Armstrong 103-98—201

Sidney Overby 100-102—202

Aliya Morrow 97-105—202

Kylee Longenecker 97-105—202

Aly Meeker 101-102—203

Alivia Skeslien-Jenkins 107-97—204

Cierra Sundheim 106-99—205

Riley Coonan 104-102—206

Cassidy Lavin 102-105—207

Kelly Jones 102-105—207

KK Lawrence 109-98—207

Ella Prigge 102-106—208

Ginny Kerr 108-100—208

Sarah Qualls 111-98—209

Kate Trunkle 102-107—209

Morgan Sunchild 103-106—209

Grace Luoma 101-109—210

Hailey Iverson 108-102—210

Bailee Potratz 112-104—216

Hannah Fehres 105-111—216

Marrin Chapman 115-103—218

Morgan Zuidema 123-96—219

Katrina Adkins 113-106—219

Regan Lammers 107-117—224

Grace Litzinger 114-110—224

Sabryn Knight 116-108—224

Samantha Benson 107-119—226

Kennedy Lean 109-118—227

Erin Murphy 113-117—230

Andrea Porch 122-108—230

Maisie Hanson 117-114—231

Kinzee Peterson 119-114—233

Marissa Breum 115-120—235

Kate Nelson 107-129—236

Reide Barcus 121-120—241

Maycee Nowlen 125-116—241

Lexi Mcnew 122-128—250

Sheridan Stroop 131-141—272

Kalonna Gervais 140-137—277

Teagan Fee 114-Wd—114

Boys Team

CMR 295-293—588

Great Falls 305-286—591

Billings West 307-292—599

Bozeman 314-302—616

Missoula Sentinel 328-310—638

Billings Senior 322-325—647

Butte 329-323—652

Missoula Big Sky 340-324—664

Billings Skyview 342-326—668

Helena High 341-328—669

Glacier 339-331—670

Missoula Hellgate 345-327—672

Helena Capital 352-344—696

Flathead 358-342—700

Girls Team

Bozeman 329-331—660

Billings West 352-376—728

Helena High 400-376—776

Billings Skyview 396-384—780

Billings Senior 394-389—783

Butte 407-411—818

Helena Capital 427-397—824

Great Falls 423-428—851

Glacier 432-431—863

Missoula Sentinel 428-435—863

Flathead 428-454—882

CMR No Score

Havre No Score

Missoula Hellgate No Score

Missoula Big Sky No Score