Hockinson cruises
One day after players attacked pins and birdies came in bunches, settling for par appeared to be the preferred method of choice during the final round of the State 2A boys tournament at Downriver Golf Course.
While the style of play was different, the end result was the same, as Hockinson sophomore Gaston De La Torre paired his first round-leading 67 with a 3-over-par 74 Wednesday to fend off teammate Gerrit Chambers for the title by two strokes.
“It feels good. It’s mission accomplished for our team and for me,” said De La Torre, whose team also cruised to the team title over runner-up Othello and third-place Deer Park. “This is big for our team and our school, so I’m pretty happy about it.”
While the win was wire to wire, it was not without some drama down the stretch. After playing at 1-over through 15 holes, De La Torre bogeyed Nos. 16 and 17, cutting his lead to one stroke. After Chambers bogeyed the final hole for a 75, De La Torre made a routine par to close out the win.
Pullman’s Dillion Williams marked the low score out of District 7, registering a 73 for a 147 total and fourth-place tie.
“It was tough because I bogeyed the first four holes, but I guess coach helped me stay in it,” he said. “I dropped a few putts and played 2-under after that. We’re moving up to 3A next year, but I think we’ll be back.”
Chewelah’s Ross Monasmith finished tied for eighth at 149, and Deer Park’s Corey Meyers shot 151 for a 12th-place tie, while teammate Scott Huffman ended one stroke back in a tie for 15th. Two-time state champion Bart Patitucci of Othello shot a 72 for the low round of the day and took third.
The girls tournament also featured a wire-to-wire first-place finish, but this one came in dominating fashion. Othello’s Kimberly Schutte began the day with a six-stroke lead and increased it to 10 by shooting a 4-over 77 for a two-day total of 153.
“I wanted this one badly,” Schutte said of her second state title. “I just kicked back and went out to play. I came out and birdied the first hole, so I started out good. That’s how it goes sometimes.”
Colville’s Caroline Geiger earned a runner-up finish and was the low shooter from District 7 after an efficient 81 and total of 163.
“I just came in saying to have a lot of fun and don’t get too competitive, because if you’re too competitive you can get frustrated and then it’s not good,” Geiger good. “The 82 I shot yesterday gave me a huge kick, and today it was a great course and great group I played with.”
Pullman’s Ashley Scourey and Chewelah’s Gracie Schory finished in a tie for sixth at 177. Schory and teammate Kelsey Harting, who took 12th, helped put Chewelah third in the race for the team title behind champion Woodland and second place King’s.
“I drove really well, but my putting still could have been a lot better,” Schory said. “It would have been really cool to get first, but it was fun to be here and actually get third again.”