Bigfork's Wade siblings finish strong, are State B golf medalists

SHELBY — Siblings Colin and Keni Wade of Bigfork held on to their first-rounds leads and finished as medalists at the State B golf tournament that concluded Wednesday.

Colin Wade followed up his 75 from Tuesday with a 74, and beat Landon Olson by three strokes (149-152). The senior got off to a rough start Wednesday, with a double bogey on No. 2 that dropped his lead to one stroke.

The gap stayed there until No. 10: Wade played the back nine even-par, and his birdie on No. 14 gave him a four-stroke lead over Olson.

Keni Wade fired an 81 on Wednesday, following her 80 on Tuesday at Marias Valley Golf & Country Club.

Like her brother, she shook off a slow start — the sophomore was eight-over after eight holes — to win by three strokes over runner-up Celi Chapman, 161-164.

Chapman had drawn even at the turn, and both players birdied No. 9. But then Wade got some space with a birdie on No. 13 while her opponent triple-bogeyed.

The Wades were the lone Bigfork golfers to qualify for the state meet.

Thompson Falls’ Ellie Baxter shot a second-day 80 to hold down third place with a two-day total of 186. Shelby’s Jori Clary was fourth at 172.

Anaconda won the boys team title by three strokes over Boulder; Columbus was a distance third, 34 strokes back. It is the first boys state championship for the Copperheads since they won cross country in 1971.

Host Shelby won the girls state championship, turning an 18-stroke deficit to Boulder after the first day into a three-stroke win. Malta was third, 31 strokes behind Shelby.

For more information on other golfers head to mhsa.org.