Area golfers tune up for postseason push
Mission Valley area golfers engaged in some oscillating irregular schedule finale tune-ups in preparation for the postseason this past week.
Polson Bay Golf Course originally was slated to host the Pirate Invitational on Sept. 14, but too much smoke from West Coast wildfires forced its cancellation.
Both Ronan and Polson were able to compete in Frenchtown last Wednesday, where the Maidens edged the host team for the team title by placing all five of their golfers among the top 10. It was the third team title for the Maidens, who are shaping up to be a contenders for reaping team if not individual hardware in the postseason.
Polson senior Ellie Thiel took runner-up honors, a mere two strokes behind the medalist from Frenchtown. Ronan’s Alyssa PrettyOnTop carded her lowest score of the season to place third, shaving more than 10 strokes off earlier season finishes.
The Whitefish boys continued their domination with another team title, but Polson placed second with a strong showing in which their leading quartet all placed among the top 15. Ronan’s Troy Alford had his best outing of the season when he carded an 81 for third place.
Last Thursday, selective invitation golfers competed in the Corvallis-sponsored SFC Invitational in Hamilton, a gathering of top area prep performers. The Stock Farm Club is a private club situated in the heart of the Bitterroot Valley above Hamilton, which its course designer has equated to "the Augusta of the West." Ellie Thiel made the top eight for the Lady Pirates, while Carson Hupka and Hunter Emerson finished among the top 10 for the Pirates.
This past Saturday, both Ronan as well as Polson teams were in attendance at the Hamilton Invitational, where the Polson boys tied for first place with the host Hamilton Broncs for the team title. Freshman Hunter Emerson tied for second with their lead Bronc golfer, while Carson Hupka along with Torrin Ellis made the top 10 and Christian Lund stratified among the top 15.
On the girls side, the Maidens and Lady Pirates placed second and third respectively, a mere three strokes separating the two. Polson’s Ellie Thiel tied for fifth, while teammates Ashley Maki and Carly Garrick rounded out the top 15. Ronan’s Madyson RunningCrane and Macao Jackson both made the lower half of the top 10, while Alyssa PrettyOnTop was a mere stroke from placing among the top 15.
Polson Bay Golf Course is slated to host the Western Divisional this weekend.
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2020 Hamilton Invitational
Hamilton GC
Saturday, September 19
Girls
Team scores
1, Corvallis (Cor) 388; 2, Ronan (Ron) 393; 3, Polson (Pol) 396; 4, Frenchtown (Fr) 408; 5, Browning (Br) 411; 6, Hamilton (Ham) 430; <4: Stevensville, Libby.
Top 15 finishers
1, Macee Greenwood (Cor) 77; 2, Jasmine Oyler (Ste) 85; 3, Aly Rose (Ham) 88; 4, Jill SureChief (Br) 89; t5, Harper Armitage (Fr) 91; t5, Ellie Thiel (Pol) 91; 7, Madyson RunningCrane (Ron) 93; 8, Macao Jackson (Ron) 94; 9, Signee Storrud (Cor) 95; 10, Brittney Wagner (Br) 96; 11, Sami Knapp (Cor) 98; 12, Grace Bintz (Fr) 99; 13, Catherine Gustin (Fr) 100; t14, Ashley Maki (Pol) 101; t14, Carly Garrick (Pol) 101.
Team individual scores & place
CORVALLIS (388) – 1, Macee Greenwood 77; 9, Signee Storrud 95; 11, Sami Knapp 98; t25, Ava Leopold 118.
RONAN (393) – 7, Madyson RunningCrane 93; 8, Macao Jackson 94; 16, Alyssa PrettyOnTop 102; 18, Kylee Niemeyer 104; 24, Aaliyah Decker 115.
POLSON (396) – t5, Ellie Thiel 91; t14, Ashley Maki 101; t14, Carly Garrick 101; 17, Clare Konen 103; t19, Kylee Seifert 105.
FRENCHTOWN (408) – t5, Harper Armitage 91; 12, Grace Bintz 99; 13, Catherine Gustin 100; t25, Grace Martello 118; 30, Sadie Smith 120.
BROWNING (411) – 4, Jill SureChief 89; 10, Brittney Wagner 96; t22, Brooke Blue 113; t22, Joslyn Grinsell 113; 32, Cassidy DayRider 126.
HAMILTON (430) – 3, Aly Rose 88; t19, Hayley Bender 105; t25, Mckinley Murray 118; t28, Brooklyn Brown 119; 31, Emma Hollinsworth 121.
LIBBY – 21, MeKenna McNulty 107; 33, Gabby Fantozzi 134.
STEVENSVILLE – t28, Julie Gingerich 119; 34, Mayce Rodolph 138.
Boys
Team scores
t1, Hamilton 339; t1, Polson 339; 3, Frenchtown (Fr) 340; 4, Corvallis (Cor) 372; 5, Libby (Lib) 383; 6, Ronan (Ron) 385; 7, Hamilton JV (HJV) 387; 8, Browning 426; <4: Stevensville, Butte Central.
Top 15 finishers
1, Ben Duhame (Fr) 80; t2, Max Cianflone (Ham) 81; t2, Hunter Emerson (Pol) 81; t4, Tanner Hanson (Ham) 82; t4, Dylan Kormic (Fr) 82; 6, Luke Schlimgen (Cor) 83; 7, Carson Hupka (Pol) 84; t8, Jackson Heath (Ham) 85; t8, Kamas Romney (Fr) 85; t10, Mason Gotham (Lib) 86; t10, Torrin Ellis (Pol) 86; 12, Emerson Widmer (HJV) 87; 13, Christian Lund (Pol) 88; 14, Carson Richie (HJV) 89; t15, Andrew Ricklefs (Ham) 91; t15, Mayson Anderson (Cor) 91; t15, Ruben Couture (Ron) 91.
Team individual scores & place
POLSON (339) – t2, Hunter Emerson 81; 7, Carson Hupka 84; t10, Torrin Ellis 86; 13, Christian Lund 88; t23, Michael Smith 96;
HAMILTON (339) – t2, Max Cianflone 81; t4, Tanner Hanson 82; t8, Jackson Heath 85; t15, Andrew Ricklefs 91; 22, Cole Dickamore 95; HamJV (387): 12, Emerson Widmer 87; 14, Carson Richie 89; t33, Toby DeMoss 105; 36, Taylor Searle 106.
FRENCHTOWN (340) – 1, Ben Duhame 80; t4, Dylan Kormic 82; t8, Kamas Romney 85; 18, Logan McNally 93; t33, Eli Warner 105.
CORVALLIS (372) – 6, Luke Schlimgen 83; t15, Mayson Anderson 91; t19, Grant Wilcox 94; t29, Ashton Pintok 104; t29, Bryce Cooper 104;
LIBBY (383) – t10, Mason Gotham 86; t19, Reece Malyevac 94; t25, Landon Haddock 98; t33, Dylan Buckner 105; 39, Thomas Roark 115.
RONAN (385) – t15, Ruben Couture 91; t19, Troy Alford 94; t23, Dillon PrettyOnTop 96; t29, Sage Coffman 104;
BROWNING (426) – t27, Francis Ground 99; t29, Chriss Hall Jr. 104; 37, Keenan RidesAtTheDoor 109; 38, Shandon Wagner 114; 40, Riley Cromwell 119.
STEVENSVILLE – t27, Selwyn Hackett 99.
BUTTE CENTRAL – t25, Philip Dwyer 98.
2020 Corvallis SFC Invitational
Stock Farm Club, Hamilton, MT
Thursday, September 17
Girls
1, Macee Greenwood (Corvallis) 76; 2, Ali Rose (Hamilton) 90; 3, Harper Amitage (Frenchtown) 99; 4, Ellie Thiel (Polson) 101; 5, Jasi Oyler (Stevensville) 103; 6, Kendall Reed (Whitefish) 105; 7, Signee Storrud (Corvallis) 108, 8, Sami Knapp (Corvallis) 114.
Boys
1, Cameron Kahle (Whitefish) 75; 2, Luke Schlimgen (Corvallis) 77; 3, Tanner Hanson (Hamilton), 80; 4, Billy Smith (Whitefish) 80; 5, Max Cianflone (Hamilton) 82; 6, Carson Hupka (Polson) 84; 7, Marcus Killman (Whitefish) 85; 8, Camas Romney (Frenchtown) 87; 9, Hunter Emerson (Polson) 88; 10, Mason Anderson (Corvallis) 89; 11, Jackson Heath (Hamilton) 91; 12, Ben Duhame (Frenchtown) 91.
2020 Frenchtown Invitational
Kings Ranch GC
Wednesday, September 16
Girls
Team scores
1, Ronan 388; 2, Frenchtown 403; 3, Polson 416; <4: Stevensville, Dillon.
Top 15 finishers
1, Harper Armitage (F) 85; 2, Ellie Thiel (P) 87; 3, Alyssa PrettyOnTop (R) 91, 4, Grace Bintz (F) 93, 5, Madyson RunningCrane (R) 94; 6, Macao Jackson (R) 95; 7, Ashley Maki (P) 101; 8, Catherine Gustin (F) 104; t9, Kylee Neimeyer (R) 108; t9, Aaliyah Decker (R) 108; 11, Carly Garrick (P) 113; 12, Clare Konen (P) 115; 13, Grace Martello (F) 121; 14, Kyla Stark (F) 125; 15, Kylee Seifert (P) 132.
Team individual scores
RONAN (388) – Alyssa PrettyOnTop 91, Madyson RunningCrane 94, Macao Jackson 95, Kylee Neimeyer 108, Aaliyah Decker 108.
FRENCHTOWN (403) – Harper Armitage 85, Grace Bintz 93, Catherine Gustin 104, Grace Martello 121, Kyla Stark 125.
POLSON (416) – Ellie Thiel 87, Ashley Maki 101, Carly Garrick 113, Clare Konen 115, Kylee Seifert 132.
STEVENSVILLE – Mayce Rudolph 133, Julie Gingerich na.
DILLON – Audrey Zeven
Boys
Team scores
1, Whitefish 325; 2, Polson 340; 3, Frenchtown 353; 4, Ronan 357; 5, Dillon 365; <4: Stevensville.
Top 15 finishers
1, Marcus Kilman (W) 77; 2, Johnny Nix (W) 80; 3, Troy Alford (R) 81; 4, Torrin Ellis (P) 82; 5, Hunter Emerson (P) 83; t6, Bjorn Olson (W) 84; t6, Gates Gilman (W) 84; t8, Ben Duhame (F) 86; t8, Trace Gardner (D) 86; t10, Dylon Kominek (F) 87; t10, Carson Hupka (P) 87; t12, Kamas Romney (F) 88; t12, Christian Lund (P) 88; t15, Dillon PrettyOnTop (R) 90; t15, Parker Puyear (D) 90.
Team individual scores
WHITEFISH (325) – Marcus Kilman 77, Johnny Nix 80, Bjorn Olson 84, Gates Gilman 84, Riley Brown 99.
POLSON (340) – Torrin Ellis 82, Hunter Emerson 83, Carson Hupka 87, Christian Lund 88, Michael Smith 110, Cole Cross 117, Teagen Gage 124.
FRENCHTOWN (353) – Ben Duhame 86, Dylon Kominek 87, Kamas Romney 88, Eli Warner 92, Aidan Boller 106.
RONAN (357) – Troy Alford 81, Dillon PrettyOnTop 90, Colter Cornwell 92, Ruben Couture 94, Sage Coffman 100.
DILLON (365) – Trace Gardner 86, Parker Puyear 90, Ray Morrison 91, Will Webster 98, Kenny Morrison 100.
STEVENSVILLE – Selwyn Hackett 117.