Greyhounds in hunt for title
Last year the Pullman boys golf team sent three players to the State 2A championship and all went home after the first day of competition.
Fast forward to 2005 and once again, three Greyhounds made it to state. Only this time all will compete in the final round thanks to a trio of rounds in the 70s at Liberty Lake Golf Course on Wednesday.
With last year’s defending team champion Othello out of the running, a first-place finish is in Pullman’s sights.
“A championship would mean a lot, a ton,” said Pullman junior Jeff Jones who made it around the 6,373-yard course with an efficient 6-over-par 76. “I’ve played with (Brian) Pan for the last three years. He’s a senior and has been our captain. It would be especially great to win it for him.”
Pan led the charge for the Greyhounds with a smooth 75, and District 7 champion Dillion Williams carded a 77.
A pair of 71s top the individual leaderboard and they belong to Hockinson’s Gaston De LaTorre and Meridian’s Evan Needham. Two shots back are Riverside’s Tyler Morris and junior Brandon Filion of Lakeside-Nine Mile Falls, who finished his round with a pair of birdies.
“At the start of my round I was a little nervous and struggled,” Filion said. “Tomorrow I plan on going out and being aggressive.”
Othello’s Bart Patitucci, the defending two-time champion, put together a pair of 38s and stands in 11th place.
With Othello out of the picture for a repeat girls team championship, the door is open for two District 7 teams to step in and fill the void.
After all three players made the cut by a combined nine strokes, Deer Park squeezed its way in for a shot at the team title.
“It would be pretty cool to win because we hadn’t thought about it at all at the beginning of the year,” said DP junior Melissa Menzia. “Now we’ve all gotten better, and it’s exciting (with the tournament) this close to home.”
Menzia stands in 13th place after shooting a 100. Teammates Rachel McNeil and Brianna Nap shot 104 and 105, respectively.
Chewelah sits as the other District 7 team in position to fare well today, thanks in large part to sophomore Kelsey Harting’s 91, which also has her in the top five in the individual medalist race.
“I was hoping to play well because I did really well in my practice round yesterday,” Harting said. “The rain didn’t affect me at all. I actually did better on the back nine than on the front nine. We’re used to that over here.”
Freshman Gracie Schory, the other state participant from Chewelah, carded a 101.
Kimberly Schutte of Othello will have to make up seven strokes on first-round leader Jill Quinn of Nooksack Valley to repeat as state champion. Quinn, who fired a 5-over 79 on the 5,801-yard layout, saw the inclement weather not as a hindrance, but rather an advantage.
“I was happy to settle with pars on the back nine. I play in the rain a lot, so I kind of like it.”