Class A Golf State Championship: Seniors shine under pressure
Polson Girls State Team: sophomore Anna DiGiallonardo, freshman Jaylin Kenney, junior Makaliah Wilson, junior Kat Medland, and senior Amy Williamson.
Polson Boys State Team: sophomore Hayden Congden, senior Dakotah Jenson, sophomore Cody Fischer, senior Logan Howell, junior Austin Von Tom.
Ronan State Team: junior Paige Delauranti, senior Alex Dulmes, junior Riley Dennis and sophomore Payton Adams
LAUREL - Authors want to make the final chapter of their book the best. Some Lake County golfers may have turned the final pages of their high school career, but they're not going to forget them anytime soon.
The Polson girls' golf team finished fifth at the state tournament last weekend in Laurel, while the boys' team placed seventh.
"I knew they could be near the top," Polson head coach Bill Owens said.
Senior Amy Williamson, continued to do what she did all year, leading the girls team with a 186 and placing 11th.
"She had a great season," Williamson said. "It was fun to see a medal put around her neck."
Sophomore Cody Fischer placed highest for the boys with a 166.
He was able to shake off a first round 90 and scored a 76 on the second day. He placed 11th, while senior Dakotah Jenson turned in a 168 for 13th.
"That was a really good result for Dakotah," Owens said. "That's close to his average game, and it was in the state tournament. Dakotah invested the most out of my boys over the summer."
Ronan also had four golfers play nicely in the state tournament.
On the girls' team, senior Alex Dulmes scored a 212 to finish 20th.
"She was pretty tickled with it," Ronan head coach Rupe Paulson said. "Her realistic goal was to place in the top 20."
Junior Paige Delauranti shaved ten strokes from her first round, to tally a 115 on the second day. For the boys, junior Riley Dennis scored a 210, and sophomore Payton Adams had a 229.
An interesting star for the weekend was the Laurel course itself which caused some problems for all the golfers.
Paulson said he overheard a conversation of a golfer from Dillon who hit several trees, and a sand trap to mark an 11 on a hole.
“They try to have a good course,” Paulson said. “They don’t want gimmes.”
The trees certianly provided a large challenge to the golfers.
“It’s a difficult course,” Owens said. “It’s fairly long and it’s got mature trees. It’s a target course, you’ve got to be accurate.”
The pressure of the state tournament also mounts on the players.
“They feel it,” Paulson said.
With the state tournament over, now both golf coaches will look towards next year.
Owens said he returns four of his five girls for next year.
“I honestly believe our girls are going to be contenders in the near future,” Owens said.
The boys team also has several top players returning, but for both teams it will depend on how much work they put in over the summer.
“I like the looks of our future,” Owens said. “After the season was over, the JV was still coming to practice.”
For Ronan, Paulson has a strong core of players coming back.
Summer again will be the important time for them to gain experience.
“They just got to go our and play some golf,” he said.