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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

District golf: Individual champions take different routes

Four players, four District 8 golf champions, four different ways to get the job done.

Ferris senior Tanner Comes captured his second 4A boys title Thursday by a comfortable seven-shot margin. Lewis and Clark senior Sierra Kersten won her third girls crown, but she was pushed by Mead’s Lydia Kim.

In 3A, Mt. Spokane’s Megan Billeter enjoyed a nine-shot victory while the Wildcats’ Sam Stiles held off Shadle Park’s Phillip Flexer for the boys championship.

The top seven 4A boys and girls qualified for state next week. The boys are at Qualchan while the girls are at Indian Canyon. The top five 3A boys and girls advanced to state. The boys play at Canyon Lakes in Kennewick, the girls at Horn Rapids in Richland.

Comes kept the title in the Saxons’ possession for the third straight year. He won it as a sophomore and Eric Ansett took first last season.

Comes padded his lead, which was four strokes after Monday’s 69 at Downriver, during the middle portion of his round at Liberty Lake.

He birdied the par-5 eighth and knocked in a short birdie putt on No. 10. He reached the par-5 12th in two for an easy two-putt birdie. At that point, he led by 10 over Mead’s Blake Ellingsen.

Comes took the scenic route to the clubhouse. He split the fairway on 13 and 15, but errant approaches left him with bogey and double bogey.

He missed the fairway on 14, 17 and 18 but scrambled up pars.

“I’ve had my share of rounds where I don’t hit it good,” said Comes, who shot a 2-over 72. “I know what to do in the trees. I’ve had some practice.”

Comes made a nice approach shot from the rough on No. 17, leaving him 20 feet for birdie. He had taken a few steps toward the hole when the putt lipped out.

“It would have gone in if I didn’t walk it in,” he said. “I jinxed it.”

Ellingsen (75) finished strongly to take second place. Central Valley, with fourth-place Jake Dringle and seventh-place Cole Howard, was the only boys team with two qualifiers.

Kersten led by five shots after Monday’s 70 at Downriver, but her lead melted to one after a bogey on No. 4 at MeadowWood. Kersten’s lead shrunk to one again after a bogey on No. 11.

The Stanford-bound Kersten responded with a birdie on the par-5 12th. She made pars on each of the last six holes for a four-shot victory.

“I wasn’t really paying attention (to her lead), I was just playing,” Kersten said. “I had some up-and-downs. I kept hitting shots long and it kind of tested my short game. I don’t think about the whole picture until the end after I finish.”

When it was finished, LC’s team posed for pictures on the practice green after three Tigers qualified for state. Kersten will be joined by freshman sister Skylar and Jessica McCourt.

CV’s Carly Grilley and Gonzaga Prep’s Kelly Hooper, who placed third, and Hannah Rieckers also qualified.

Stiles, who shot a 73 Monday at Esmeralda for a two-stroke lead over Flexer, carded a 79 at Liberty Lake. Flexer (80) placed second, five strokes ahead of Mt. Spokane’s Ross Morrison. North Central’s Izach Tabish and Mitchell Weipert, Flexer’s teammate, also secured state berths.

“It was tough,” said Stiles, who has been battling a nasty cold. “I was playing with (Flexer) and he played well, but 79 was good enough to get it done.”

Stiles is heading to state for the third straight year.

Mt. Spokane girls finished 1-2-3-4. Billeter, who opened with an 80 at Esmeralda, crafted a 3-over 75 at MeadowWood.

Cailin Spencer shot an 80 for a two-round total of 164. Kailyn Jones finished third and Brooke Fraser was fourth.

Shadle Park’s Hanna Merkel claimed the fifth and final state berth.