Flathead’s Mercer, Glacier boys third at AA state golf
MISSOULA – The fairways narrowed and not many putts for fell for the Glacier boys Friday, though the Wolfpack took home the third-place trophy from the State AA championships.
There are a couple Montana golf axioms to keep in mind that applied at the Missoula Country Club: Someone at State AA is going to enjoy a home-course advantage; and the greens are going to get aerated in September.
So credit Missoula Sentinel for knowing its way around the MCC, particularly freshman Kade McDonough, who fired a 1-under 70 to win medalist honors by four strokes over Gallatin’s Jordan Verge. Two-time defending champion Justus Verge was third at 150, 10 strokes behind McDonough.
“He shot 70 today and didn’t make a putt,” Sentinel coach Craig Matosich said. “Nothing fazes him, and he’s not afraid of anything. It’s just go, go, go, go. He plays his game and does his thing and it’s really cool to see. He’s really good.”
If Sentinel had another hero while beating Gallatin by six strokes – earning its first boys’ title since 1999 – it was Andrew Hauser, who fired a career-best 73 Friday.
“Game-changer,” Matosich said.
Kalispell’s top boys’ finishers were Glacier’s Will Salonen and Tyler Avery, who were sixth and eighth; Flathead’s Ezra Epperly tying for ninth; and Glacier’s Keaton Cassidy tying for 11th.
Glacier entered the day just three strokes behind the Sentinel boys but fell off the pace early.
“It’s really tight,” Wolfpack coach Doug Manaker said of MCC. “You can get into a lot of situations where you have to punch out. The greens, while they roll very well, it’s tough to make putts on them. It was a tough day.”
On the girls’ side Flathead’s Marcella Mercer fired a second-day 77 to move into a tie for third, behind Bozeman medalist Sami Yates (152) and fellow Hawk Cooper Knarr (153). Mercer’s total was 160, and teammate Jillian Wynne had an 83 Friday and tied for 12th with her 169 total. Bozeman won its fifth straight girls’ title by 61 strokes; Flathead and Glacier finished seventh and eighth.
Salonen had the best day of the Wolfpack golfers with his second straight 76. He had trouble finding the fairway – he guessed he hit maybe two greens on the back nine – but persevered.
“You definitely have to be accurate here,” Salonen said. “Otherwise it’s kind of jail if you’re in the trees. It was definitely a scramble.”
Avery began the day four shots behind McDonough but shot 80 Friday. Cassidy had a scrambling 78.
“He could easily have thrown in the towel,” Manaker added of Cassidy, who played his last 11 holes at even-part. “He ground it out and played well.”
Flathead’s Epperly had a good ball-striking round but his putts, again, wouldn’t fall.
“I let a lot of stuff go – it could have been a lot lower than it was,” he said of his second-round 75. “I hit it really well. Probably only five or six bad shots all day. I think I had 12 or 14 greens in reg (regulation).”
It was Epperly’s first All-State finish, which goes to the top 15 finishers.
“I felt like I should have been all-state the last couple years,” he said. “It feels good to finally do it.”
Mercer’s season didn’t end like it started, though her 77 matched the second-best round for Friday. She was also 1-over after nine; Yates, though, was 1 under and finished with a 74.
“Still frustrating,” Mercer said of her finish. “Missed a lot of shots and putts, but you know that’s the name of golf.”
“She hit the ball better and made a few more putts, but not enough to make up that gap,” Flathead coach Roy Antley said. “She had a couple crucial three-putts that really kind of took her momentum away when she was playing well.
“But I’m proud of her … She’s been playing a ton of golf this year going back to the early spring. I think mentally she’s just a little tired. As I told her, whatever the scorecard says she’s a champion 10 times over in my eyes.”
“I played a one of golf, this summer and this spring and even in the fall season I got into a lot of tournaments,” Mercer allowed. “I don’t feel like I was burnt out – I still love going out on the course and practice – I think probably was just utting a little too much pressure on myself, in the end.
“Golf’s a hard game. You can be amazing one day and go out the next day and really struggle. Yesterday happened to be one of those days.”
Glacier’s top girls’ finisher was Alana Griffin, who fired matching 93s and finished 23rd.
State AA Golf
Friday At Missoula Country Club
Final Round
BOYS
Team scores – Missoula Sentinel 305-297 – 602, Bozeman Gallatin 308-300 – 608, Glacier 308-317 – 625, Billings Senior 331-320 – 651, Helena Capital 335-332 – 667, Billings West 340-333 – 673, Great Falls CMR 343-339 – 682, Missoula Hellgate 351-345 – 696,
Top 15 Individuals
Kade McDonough, Sentinel 70-70 – 140
Jordan Verge, Gallatin 74-70 – 144
Justus Verge, Gallatin 74-76 – 150
Eli Groshelle, CMR 77-73 – 150
Joe Opitz, Sentinel 79-72 – 151
Will Salonen, Glacier 76-76 – 152
Stevie Voight, Gallatin 76-77 – 153
Tyler Avery, Glacier 74-80 – 154
Andrew Hauser, Sentinel 82-73 – 155
Ezra Epperly, Flathead 80-75 – 155
Keaton Cassidy, Glacier 79-78 – 157
Siam Wiliailuck, Senior 86-71 – 157
Caswell Bloomquist, Capital 79-79 – 158
Treyden Haber, West 75-85 – 160
Zach Hangas, Sentinel 79-82 – 161
Tyler Brunner, Senior 79-82 – 161
Hayden Ellis, Big Sky 79-82 – 161
Tye Boone, Skyview 84-77 – 161
FLATHEAD – Epperly 155, Joston Cripe 85-89 – 174, Drew Lowry 92-91 – 183, Kadin Gall 91-94 – 185.
GLACIER – Salonen 152, Avery 154, Cassidy 157, Sam Manaker 79-86 – 165, Coby Kunda 88-83 – 171.
GIRLS
Team scores – Bozeman 321-317 – 638, Billings West 355-344 – 699, Billings Senior 357-348 –
705, Butte 357-351 – 708, Helena Capital 382-365 – 747, Billings Skyview 383-382 – 765, Flathead 397-382 – 779, Glacier 398-389 – 787.
Top 15 Individuals
Sami Yates, Bozeman 79-74 – 152
Cooper Knarr, Bozeman 76-77 – 153
Marcella Mercer, Flathead 83-77 – 160
Kenzie Walsh, Senior 83-77 – 160
Franchi Ceartin, Bozeman 79-82 – 161
Hallie Vandersloote, Gallatin 81-80 – 161
Elle Prigge, Butte 79-83 – 162
Kodie Hoagland, Butte 82-80 – 162
Kadence Fischer, West 81-81 – 162
Celi Chapman, Helena 83-81 – 164
Lauren Williams, Helena 85-80 – 165
Jillian Wynne, Flathead 86-83 – 169
Addiley Lloyd, Gallatin 8 7-82 – 169
Bella Johnston, West 90-81 – 171
Sami Benson, Senior 85-87 – 172
Cierra Sundheim, Skyview 88-84 – 172
FLATHEAD – Mercer 160, Wynne 169, McKinlie Murer 108-105 – 213, Sophia Dykhuizen 122-117 – 239, Marijayne Reed 120-DNF, Brooklyn Sampson DNP-127.
GLACIER – Alana Griffin 93-93 – 186, Chloe Tanner 94-94 – 188, Stella Claridge 96-101 – 197, Kenna Sandler 115-101 – 216, Colette Daniels 122-114 – 236.