Polson girls golf finishes atop Missoula Invitational

The Polson girls golf squad continued its strong showing, finishing in first place out of eight teams at last weekend's Missoula Invitational, as the team heads into the last week of the regular season before hosting divisionals, which starts next Thursday.

All five of the girls finished in the top 10, led by Kristine Samsel who shot a 170 over two days, followed closely by Jenn Orchard with a 172 to take the two top spots in the field. Sami Beaver took fourth with a 180, followed by Stephanie Rowold and Whitney Pitts who both scored a 199, good enough for seventh place.

"That's the first time Kristine has finished ahead of Jenn. That's a nice problem to have," said head coach Bill Owen of the two contenders. "They have a really healthy rivalry and they are good about supporting each other but when they get on the course, they want to win."

The boys team finished seventh, led by Shawn Medland with a 171, followed by Jason Newton with a 174, Chris Hanson with a 179, Kellan Mills with a 181 and Chris Frolander with a 192.

The boys are still playing well but will have to turn it up a notch heading into the last week of the regular season.

"I think we are better than what we are playing right now," Owen said of the boys team. "There's no question we have to improve by divisionals in order to qualify for state."

The Whitefish girls were absent again this weekend, instead competing in a AA tourney, as the two teams turn their attention to the divisional tourney, which will be held in Polson next Thursday, Sept. 29. The only time the Polson and Whitefish varsity girls have officially played each other this year was at the Libby Invite earlier this month, a tough course in which the Lady Pirates finished two strokes behind the Lady Bulldogs.

The Polson teams will travel to Bigfork today, Thursday, for the Bigfork Invitational before heading to Whitefish on Monday for the Whitefish Invitational. However, Bigfork's course is an attractive option that should draw the Bulldogs in, Owen said, although he noted he doesn't blame the Whitefish team for going to AA tourneys.

"Other than Libby, we haven't really been able to see where we are at with them yet. We're really looking forward to Thursday," Owen said of the hopeful Whitefish/Polson match-up.

The Whitefish Invite will be the last invite of the regular season before teams from around Western Montana converge in Polson for the divisional tourney, which starts at 9 a.m. next Thursday, Sept. 29. Owen said home field advantage is nice, and that he's been encouraging kids to take advantage and get some practice time in, although they aerated some of the greens recently in Polson.

Owen said playing on a familiar course helps, but ultimately each team will still have to earn a victory.

"It's going to come down to who is playing better. State is in Whitefish, so it will turn around when go to their surface," he said.

"Sometimes kids do better at home and sometimes they feel more pressure. I think our kids will do well here though."