BREMERTON — Port Angeles’ youth and experience combined for an impressive day at the Class 2A/3A Olympic League Golf Championships held in blustery conditions at Kitsap Golf & Country Club on Monday.
“PAHS Riders took four out of the seven qualifying bids for the state tourney in Spokane,” boys golf coach Bob Anderson said.
The top seven 2A boys automatically qualified for state while the next eight will play in the district tournament at Auburn Golf Course on May 14 to see if they can reach the state tournament at Liberty Lake Golf Course in Spokane Valley on May 21-22.
Roughriders’ sophomore Max Gagnon kept up his strong run of play by shooting an 18-hole total of 86 on the par-71 layout and finishing second in the 2A competition, three strokes back of 2A winner Viet Tran of Kingston (83).
Freshman Sky Gelder was third for Port Angeles after firing an 88. Gelder was an at-large selection to play in the tournament.
Senior Reid Schmidt (90) and Nate Anderson (91) were fourth and fifth for the Riders and will try and lift Port Angeles to a state trophy after a ninth-place finish as a team at state in 2023.
Qualifying four players is a solid first step toward that trophy, but the Riders have the opportunity to add two more potential qualifiers.
Port Angeles sophomore Cale Wentz placed ninth with a 94, good enough to be the second district qualifier, while junior Austin Worthington also squeaked in with a 96.
“We thought Austin Worthington might not make it, yet when the last-minute scores came in, it was determined that Austin had a last-second sudden-death playoff for the last district berth against two Olympic golfers and Austin won it,” Anderson said.
Riders freshman Kolby Charles also made his league championship debut and had a good first showing, Anderson said.
“We roll on,” Anderson said. “Auburn next week and then Spokane here we come.”
Sequim’s Adrian Aragon qualified for the district tournament after shooting a 95 and tying for the sixth district spot.
Class 3A Bainbridge players Rainier Richardson, Dane Byers and Andrew Jobes tied for the boys overall championship after each shot rounds of 82.
Girls tournament
Two Riders and a pair of Wolves qualified directly to the Class 2A State Girls Golf Championship at MeadowWood Golf Course in Liberty Lake.
North Mason’s Mari Morris won the 2A girls competition with a 98.
Sequim advanced two golfers directly to state, and two more earned district tournament berths.
The Wolves’ Ava Johnson tied with North Kitsap’s Calia Corden after each shot rounds of 102 to finish tied for second in the 2A contest.
Sequim’s Emily Post was fifth with a 111 to also head directly to state.
Port Angeles’ Autumn Wilson-Rowland shot a 103 to qualify for the state tournament in fourth place as did her teammate Claire Osterberg with her fifth-place score of 111.
Mia Neff was third for the Rider girls with a 113, just missing out for state but having another chance next week in the district tournament at Auburn to qualify for state.
Sequim’s Rainey Brewer also qualified for the district match by qualifying with 114 and teammate Sara German was next in line for districts with 115.
Port Angeles’ Lauryn Chapman had a 126, Malena Marquez shot 131 and Izzy Spencer a 151.
Bainbridge’s Grace Charintranont was the top overall finisher with an 88.
