No headline

Bigfork’s Santistevan signs with Dawson CC

The Daily Inter Lake

Bigfork senior center Beau Santistevan has signed a National Letter of Intent to Dawson Community College for basketball.

Santistevan was the state tournament Most Valuable Player for the Vikings, who won the Class B basketball championship on March 10 in Missoula. The 6-foot-6 all-state, all-conference player knocked down a team-high 18 points in the title-game victory over Shelby. He was 11 of 11 from the free-throw line to help secure the 60-56 win.

“Beau is a talented player and a gifted character,” Bigfork coach Sam Tudor said. “His extraordinary senior year was instrumental in our success this year; he led us on and off of the court. Dawson Community College is a great fit for him. Since I know they are great at developing players and Beau works hard, I think Beau will be a great Montana recruit for our local colleges in a couple of years. We wish him the best and will support him in any way we can.”

In a 60-45 semifinal victory over Rocky Boy, Santistevan had 15 points and 15 rebounds. He shared scoring honors at 18 points in the first-round 67-38 victory over Joliet.

Bigfork finished the season with a 24-0 record.

“Beau is a great player and an even better person. He has the size and skill to be able to help in a lot of ways inside and outside,” Dawson coach Joe Peterson said.

“He understands the game well, competes hard and is a winner.”

Santistevan was also an all-conference and all-state selection his junior year and led his team to a 19-6 record.

He averaged 18 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks per game and shot 68 percent from the field (38 percent from the 3-point line and 77 percent from the charity stripe).

He scored a career high 36 points his senior season in a victory over Thompson Falls.

“Thanks to my friends, family and coaches for helping me achieve this lifelong goal, and thanks to Dawson for giving me this opportunity,” Santistevan said in a DCC press release.

Flathead’s Tanko to play college soccer

Flathead High School senior Makena Tanko will play soccer and continue his education at the University of Northwestern — St. Paul in Roseville, Minnesota.

UNW is a private, evangelical Christian, NCAA Division III school and is a member of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC).

Tanko scored one goal and assisted on four during his senior season.

Jones, Potkonjak

lead Carroll golfers

TEMPE, Ariz. (Carroll College Sports Information) — Greg Jones (Kalispell) closed out the best tournament of his career in his final collegiate event, finishing tied for second and a stroke back of medalist Michael Tait of Rocky Mountain College in the Frontier Conference Championship at the ASU Karsten Course.

The former Glacier standout put up a 2-over 74 in the third round to finish five-over for the tournament. He started the day with a birdie on 17 and was just one-over on the front nine. He birdied the 10th and almost birdied the 14th, but in the end, it came down to the tricky 16th hole.

“I’m so proud of Greg and the fight he showed all week,” Carroll coach Bennett Macintyre said. “What a way to cap a senior season. While he didn’t have the greatest day off the tee today, he hung in there and competed until the very end. He didn’t hit many greens in regulation and just kept making clutch up and downs to stay in it, he came down to the final hole tied for the lead, and bogeyed the long par-three over water.”

The Saints finished fifth as a team. Austin Egan was second for the Saints in 16th-place. Joseph Potkonjak (Bigfork) finished 19th, Stephen Santora 22nd and Ben Gardner 25th.

Jones shot 70-77-74—221 while Potkonjak scored 77-77-82—236.

Milton, Polson Bay

juniors on Golf Channel

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — PGA Jr. League and the stories of its captains, players and their families will be featured during Golf Channel’s Morning Drive Junior Golf Week. Morning Drive airs today from 7-9 a.m. (MT) and Saturday-Sunday from 8-10 a.m.

Cameron Milton, the head PGA Professional at Polson Bay Golf Course, will be featured along with several other individuals and programs.

Milton’s program has grown from one team to six teams of 72 kids in just four seasons. He is passionate about junior golf and captains diverse teams of kids from various backgrounds and of all abilities. He is also a three-time recipient of the Pacific Northwest PGA Section Youth Player Development Award.

“We’re very excited to showcase the ways in which PGA and LPGA professional captains are enriching the lives of PGA Jr. League golfers across the country,” said PGA REACH Senior Director Ryan Cannon. “These stories spotlight captains who are inspiring a lifetime interest in the game and engaging their communities through PGA Jr. League as well as the boys and girls who are being positively impacted by the program.”

Doug, Jacquie Cuffe 1st in league bowling

The Random League completed its second bowling season at the Pin and Cue in Whitefish with Doug and Jacquie Cuffe taking home $1,200 in first-place prize money.

Second ($600) and third place ($400) place went to Anita Kvapil and her teammates Kristi Kvapil and Brent Kvapil.

Of special note, Heather Burnham rolled a game 100 pins over her average.

The Random League is a unique 12-week bowling experience with 2-person teams competing any time during the week that lanes are available. Handicap scores are tallied and teams receive points based on the number of teams involved and those points accumulate for the 12 weeks to determine the winners.

It’s a great league for new bowlers and individuals with schedules that don’t allow them to be available at a regular time each week for a standard league.

The next Random League will start in December. To register for that, contact the Pin and Cue.

Avery has strong showing for UM golf

at Big Sky tourney

BOULDER CITY, Nevada (UM Sports Information) — The Montana women’s golf team shot a final-round 297 on Sunday and finished seventh at the Big Sky Conference Championship at the Boulder Creek Golf Club.

Sunday’s total matched the Grizzlies’ second-best score in their 25-year history of Big Sky Championship appearances. It was just the eighth time in 75 rounds they’ve shot better than 300 at the tournament.

Kalispell’s Teigan Avery (Glacier High School), who shot a 74 on Sunday, and Baylee Barckley, who carded a 75, both finished tied for 18th place.

Avery had three birdies over the final seven holes.

UM’s Hailey Hoagland, who birdied three of the first five holes to get off to a good start, came in at 75 on the first day, as did Avery. Both players were tied for 10th, six shots behind the leader.

Avery carded a 77 on the second day, the second-best score for Montana.

She had a 226 total, which was 10-over par for 54 holes.

Lana Berg transfers

to Montana Tech

BUTTE (Montana Tech Sports Information) — Montana Tech head women’s basketball coach Carly Sanon announced that Lana Berg is transferring from North Idaho College and will join the Orediggers for next season.

Berg, a 5-10 forward, played for Bigfork High School before arriving in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. She averaged 9.4 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Cardinals. She had game highs of 17 points and 10 rebounds.

At Bigfork, Berg was named all-state her junior and senior seasons and all-conference as a sophomore. Berg averaged 15 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 59 percent from the field. A three- sport athlete, Berg was a three-time all-conference selection in volleyball and participated in three state tennis tournaments.

She is joining her sister Jamie Berg, who committed to Montana Tech this winter.

Berg plans on pursuing a degree in Nursing.

“I chose Montana Tech because everyone made me feel like part of the family. The people, the team and the coaches are so down to earth and other schools just cannot compete with the academics at Montana Tech.”