Glacier boys lead Western AA golf; Flathead’s Epperly sits 1st, Mercer 3rd
FAIRMONT HOT SPRINGS — While Flathead’s Ezra Epperly had Thursday’s best round, Glacier had three boys shoot in the 70s to take a slim first-round lead at the Western AA Divisional golf tournament.
On the girls’ side Glacier and Flathead sit 3-4 behind Butte, which built a 24-stroke lead over Helena Capital. Flathead’s Marcella Mercer opened with an 86 to sit two strokes behind the Butte tandem of Ella Prigge and Kodie Hoagland.
Epperly’s 73 gave him a one-stroke lead over Sentinel’s Kade McDonough. In a tie for third sits Tyler Avery, and his Wolfpack teammates Keaton Cassidy and Coby Kunda each fired 77s to sit fifth.
Glacier had 314 strokes Thursday, and Missoula Sentinel was a close second at 316.
Then came Helena Capital at 329 and Flathead at 341.
The Glacier girls have 404 strokes: Alana Griffin (91) and Chloe Tanner (99) both are in the top 10. Besides Mercer, Flathead’s Jillian Wynne sits tied for fourth with Griffin at 91.
The tournament concludes Friday.
Western AA
Divisional Golf
Thursday
BOYS
Team scores - Glacier 314, Missoula Sentinel 316, Helena Capital 329, Flathead 341, Missoula Hellgate 351, Missoula Big Sky 358, Helena 359, Butte n/a.
Individual Top 10
Ezra Epperly, Flathead 73
Kade McDonough, Sentinel 74
Tyler Avery, Glacier 76
Caswell Bloomquist, Capital 76
Keaton Cassidy, Glacier 77
Coby Kunda, Glacier 77
Jaden Dennis, Sentinel 78
Joe Opitz, Sentinel 80
Carson Suchecki, Big Sky 80
Hayden Ellis, Big Sky 81
Austin Zeiler, Helena 81
FLATHEAD - Ezra Epperly 73, Joston Cripe 88, Drew Lowry 91, Kadin Gall 89, Korbin Hawley 93.
GLACIER - Tyler Avery 765, Will Salonen 84, Keaton Cassidy 77, Sam Manaker 84, Coby Kunda 77.
GIRLS
Team scores - Butte 370, Helena Capital 394, Glacier 404, Flathead 414, Missoula Sentinel 462, Helena n/a, Missoula Big Sky n/a, Missoula Hellgate n/a.
Individual Top 10
Ella Prigge, Butte 84
Kodie Hoagland, Butte 84
Marcella Mercer, Flathead 86
Jillian Wynne, Flathead 91
Alana Griffin, Glacier 91
Laurel Williams, Helena 92
Megan Swanson, Capital 95
Celi Chapman, Helena 98
Paige O’Mara, Capital 98
Chloe Tanner, Glacier 99
FLATHEAD - Marcella Mercer 86, Jillian Wynne 91, McKinlie Murer 109, Soiphia Dykhuizen 125, Marijayne Reed 131.
GLACIER - Alana Griffin 91, Chloe Tanner 99, Stella Claridge 103, Kenna Sandler 111, Colette Daniels 125.