Miacolo, Wieber Qualify Again

Prep golf

Maybe Amy Wieber can become the next Brian Miacolo.

Miacolo, of East Valley, qualified for his fourth consecutive state tournament during Thursday’s Region IV 3A boys golf tournament at MeadowWood Golf Course.

“I don’t know if anybody in the Frontier League has done this,” Miacolo said after shooting an even-par 72 to finish tied for third place, one stroke off the pace.

“No one’s done it at East Valley,” Miacolo added. “I feel really good about it. I thought I could do it if I kept my head in the game.”

Wieber, playing across the road at Liberty Lake Golf Course, qualified for her third consecutive girls State 3A tourney. The West Valley junior was runner-up by shooting a 5-over-par 79, trailing champion Erica Leslie of Cheney by three strokes.

Leslie left town shortly after her round and was unavailable for comment. Leslie, a junior, is getting a jump on practicing for the state tournament, which begins Monday at Fort Lewis Golf Course, south of Tacoma.

The top 12 boys and top 14 girls at Thursday’s regionals qualified for state. Golfers from the Mid-Valley snared nine of the available boys berths and 10 of the girls berths.

West Valley of Yakima led the way in both tournaments, qualifying four girls and three boys for state. WV’s girls placed third at state the last two years.

Patrick Galloway of WV (Yakima) was boys medalist by defeating Moses Lake’s Tracy Hartman on the second playoff hole. Both finished regulation at 1-under 71.

Miacolo rolled in birdie putts of close to 20 feet on the par-4 fourth hole and par-5 12th. He double-bogeyed the par-4 14th.

Miacolo placed 37th at state as a freshman, 34th as a sophomore and tied for eighth last year.

“I’ve played fair this year,” Miacolo said. “I’m just coming around with my game at the last minute, which is good because I want to place high at state.”

Cheney junior Peter Sisich and Clarkston’s Chris Watson tied for fifth place with 73s. Sisich tied for sixth at state last year.

Clarkston’s Brandon Congreve shot 77 and missed the top-12 cutoff by one stroke. EV junior Jared Taylor shot 36 on the front nine, but ballooned to a 44 on the back nine.

Girls champ Leslie shot nines of 36-40.

Wieber was also second at region last year. She tied for 15th at state as a freshman and was 24th last year in rainy conditions.

“I’m hoping to conquer the course this year because it beat me up last year,” Wieber said.

The Frontier’s other state qualifiers were Clarkston freshman Ashley Martin, who was 10th with a 95, and WV sophomore Jennifer Miner, 12th at 97.

Sunnyside’s Amber Cullen, and Grace Barnett and Lynn Fitzgerald of WV (Yakima) tied for 13th with 100s and required a playoff to determine state berths.

Cullen qualified on the first hole with a bogey 5 while the WV girls shot double-bogey. Barnett sank a 15-foot putt on the second hole to stay alive, then eliminated her teammate on the fourth hole.

Defending state champion Jenny Dolph of Pullman shot a 9-over 81 at The Fairways Golf Course to win the District 7 2A girls championship by 23 strokes.

Dolph finished the two-round event at 165. Runner-up Kellie Kinzer (188) and third-place Audra Durfey (202), both of Pullman, helped the Greyhounds to an overwhelming win for the team title.

Pullman, the defending state champion, scored 95 points for a 68-point gap over second-place Chewelah.

The top nine golfers advance to the state tournament, Monday and Tuesday at Mt. Adams Country Club at Toppenish. Pullman qualified four golfers, Chewelah two.