Pirates tee off with high hopes

Polson's golf teams got an early start to the season as they traveled to Anaconda to face off against Laurel, Billings Central and Hamilton at the Old Works Challenge on Tuesday, Aug. 15.

The Lady Pirates picked up the meet victory, shooting a team score of 372 to defeat Billings Central (408) and Hamilton (399), while Laurel didn't have enough golfers for a team score. Ashley Maki led Polson, firing off an 82 to place first, while Kylee Seifert was third with an 89 on the scorecard.

Clare Konen shot a 95, and Kila Cannon posted 105 for the Lady Pirates, who won the State A team championship last season.

On the boys' side, Polson was without its No. 1 golfer, Carson Hupka, as he was competing in a PNGA event. Defending State Champion Laurel picked up the meet victory with a 292, Polson placed second (327), and Billings Central and Hamilton tied for third (352).

Laurel had four top-five spots at the meet, but Polson's Hunter Emerson placed third in the event by carding a 72. Christian Lund shot an 81, Torrin Ellis and Espn Fisher each carded 87s, and Cole Cross notched a 91.

The next day, Polson's golf teams faced off in match play against Laurel at Fairmont Golf Course.

Laurel won the matchup 19.5 to 7.5, but the Pirates were still without their No. 1 golfer. Christian Lund defeated his Laurel opponent 3-0, while Emerson notched a half point on the boys’ side. On the girls’ side, Maki and Seifert each scored half a point, while Cannon and Konent scored three points with a win over their foe.

Browning Invitational

The Polson boys won the Browning Invitational at the Marias Valley Golf and Country Club on Friday, Aug. 18. The Pirates had five players in the top 10 and scored plus 26, while the second-best team, Columbia Falls, scored plus 60.

Ronan was fifth at the invitational, notching a plus 88.

Returning to action for the Pirates was their No. 1 golfer, Carson Hupka, who promptly carded a 75 – just three over par – to win the invitational. Christian Lund was just three strokes behind him to place third with a 78, and Torrin Ellis was fifth, scoring a 79.

"Christian Lund has shown the most improvement over the summer," Polson Coach Cameron Milton told the Daily Interlake.

Hunter Emerson was seventh with an 82, and Espn Fisher rounded out the top 10 with an 85.

"These five took third their sophomore year, second their junior year," Milton told the Interlake. "It's kind of, you know, do it or bust. We'll try to see if we can catch Laurel, which has been a dominant program for so long. That's what we're after."

Ronan's Oliver Rowe was 12th with an 85, and his teammate Colter Cornwell was 15th with a 90. Also scoring for the Chiefs was Connor Durglo in 25th (100), Trey Samsel in 29th (101), and Clay Cooper in 33rd (104).

On the girls' side, Polson won the team scoring as well with a +87 compared to Havre in second place, which had a plus 115.

Ashley Maki placed tied for second at the invite by posting an 81 in windy conditions, while teammate Kylee Seifert was sixth with a 93. Kila Cannon was 11th with a 103. As the defending state champions, it was a solid showing in the early season, and hopes are high since the Lady Pirates have the core four from 2022.

"They kind of just have to do what they do," Milton told the Interlake. "It will be interesting to see if we have a bump in the road or a school shows up with a freshman we don't know anything about."

Ronan's Madisyn Evelo was 22nd with a 125, and fellow Maiden Emma Smith was 25th with a 128.