District 8 golf: Greater Spokane League boys sweep up six state berths

Sweeps in sports are generally reserved for a baseball series or the NBA playoffs.

Six Greater Spokane League 4A boys made the term applicable to golf Wednesday.

GSL players claimed all six available state berths, including three more for a strong Gonzaga Prep squad, at the District 8 qualifier at Liberty Lake Golf Course.

G-Prep freshman Tommy Kimmel’s 1-over-par 71 was the low score in the field of 12, six from the GSL and six from the Mid-Columbia Conference. He’ll be joined at state by Reeves brothers Will (74) and Jack (80). G-Prep’s Hayden Gamache and the Plaster brothers, Jack and Nathan, qualified last week at the District 8 Tournament.

Mead’s Zane Mularski (73), Central Valley’s Brayden Miles (78) and Lewis and Clark’s Logan Damon (81) also qualified for state, which begins Tuesday at Canyon Lakes in Kennewick.

“It did reaffirm that the GSL is solid throughout,” G-Prep coach Dennis Dougherty said. “This is exactly what we’ve been hoping for.”

The GSL’s McKenzie Kalua (G-Prep), Charlotte Bloom (Mead) and Shannon Curran (LC) divided six girls state berths with three MCC counterparts.

Kimmel birdied No. 1 and No. 3 to turn in 1-under 34. He took a one-shot penalty on No. 12 when his ball was stationed next to a fence, but otherwise it was a fairly low-stress round.

“I tried to hit the ball in the middle of the greens and give myself good looks,” Kimmel said. “I didn’t three-putt once. My three birdies were all pretty close (putts). It was a great ball-striking day.”

Mularski sported a wide smile exiting the 18th green. He was in position to qualify as a freshman but made double bogey on No. 18 at Wandermere in the district event and lost in a playoff. As a sophomore, he missed qualifying by two strokes at regionals.

“I’ve been close (before),” he said. “It’s nice to get in there. It’s nice to just enjoy it walking down the 18th hole rather than being super nervous.”

It rained on Mularski’s group for the first six holes, but it didn’t bother the Panthers junior. He was steady with 14 pars, one birdie, two bogeys and one double bogey.

“I played in a tournament in February where it rained really hard and it taught me how to handle it,” he said. “The first six holes it was pretty much nonstop. I was hanging dry gloves and a dry towel under my umbrella.”

Kalua, a freshman, paced the field of 12 girls with an 83.

“She played well,” Dougherty said. “She’s incredibly athletic and has a really good swing. She hits the ball very far, probably as far as I’ve seen from a freshman since (former G-Prep standout) Kelly Hooper.”

Bloom joins twin sister Libby and District 8 champion Camryn Culp to give Mead three competitors at state next week at Sun Willows in Pasco.

District 8 3A

Mt. Spokane’s Tessa VanWert (86) and Chloe Lavelle (92) earned two of the four state berths up for grabs at Columbia Point in Richland. They’ll join teammate Katie Maher at state Tuesday and Wednesday at Indian Canyon.

Kamiakin’s Grace Wilbur (83) and Torey Getz (91) also advanced to state.

North Central senior Grant McDonald qualified for boys state with a 75 at Columbia Point, matching Kamiakin’s Tommy Beason for the lowest score. MCC players earned the last two state spots.