CdA boys win ‘ugly’
Through the early part of the 5A Region I golf tournament Wednesday, Coeur d’Alene High boys coach Bryan Duncan could tell the state-qualifying round was developing into one of survival, not a record-breaking round.
Duncan’s five golfers had knocked six shots out of bounds in the first six holes at the Prairie Falls Golf Club’s forgiving front nine. Things wouldn’t get much better when the Vikings reached the tightly designed back nine.
“It might be a case of which team shoots the best of the worst rounds,” Duncan said as his players began to make the turn after the front nine at the Post Falls course.
Coeur d’Alene finished with 14 penalties for OB, but the Vikings scrambled enough to secure a fourth straight regional title. CdA’s top four combined for 302. Lewiston, which had its share of struggles, finished a distant second with 315.
“It was an ugly win, but we’ll take it,” Duncan said. “It was a grind today. The kids weren’t on top of their games. We were the favorites going in and you’ve always got a big target on your chest. I don’t know if the kids were feeling too relaxed, not relaxed enough or if they weren’t pressing enough. But I’m proud of them. A win’s a win.”
Lewiston’s girls, meanwhile, knocked off defending regional champ CdA. The Bengals shot 347, the same score the Vikings shot last year. Post Falls finished second with a school-best 359 to earn the second state berth. CdA, which was a stroke back, also advances to state because any other team shooting 380 or lower also earns a state berth.
State will be held Monday and Tuesday at the Lewiston Country Club, the Bengals’ home course.
CdA’s Tyler Johnson, the regional medalist two years ago, returned to the winner’s circle by shooting a 1-over-par 71. Teammates Kyle Gable, last year’s medalist, and Taylor Porter finished second and third respectively with 75 and 76. Andy Hasenoehrl of Lewiston matched Porter’s 76.
Genna Dodge of Post Falls, the 4A girls medalist as a freshman last year, didn’t flinch in her first 5A regional as she fired an 8-over 79. Teammate Chelsea Pedersen was two strokes back at 81, as she shaved five off her previous best, and Erin Johnson led CdA with an 82.
While the temperature was pleasant, the windy conditions had players guessing.
The CdA boys shot 294 in frigid conditions at a tourney last Thursday at Prairie Falls. Duncan expected a similar round.
“Hitting so many shots out of bounds makes me want to puke,” Duncan said. “If we hit it like that at state, we’re not going to be a contender.”
Lewiston coach Shawn Nilsson said his team had no pressure considering it had a state berth locked up as the host school. So he was at a loss to explain what transpired.
“We had too many mental errors,” Nilsson said. “It was a little windy out there, but it wasn’t bad enough for us to shoot 315.”
Tyler Johnson had two OBs on the front nine, but he bounced back to shoot 1-under 33 on the back.
He was sitting in the back bunker on the par-5 18th in two.
But he left his sand shot 25 feet above the hole and promptly three-putted.
Dodge had four straight bogeys before sinking a 30-foot putt on No. 18 to crack 80.
Like the CdA boys, the CdA girls struggled mightily on the front nine. But they rallied on the backside. That was particularly evident with Erin Johnson, who shot a 48 on the front before parring each hole on the back for a 34.
“After the front nine the heads were hanging a little bit,” CdA girls co-coach Keri Jaworski said. “For a while we were looking at possibly not qualifying (for state). That just shows how much determination this group has. They persevered and got through it.”
“Moscow’s Chris Williams shot a 4-under 67 to win the 4A Region I boys tournament at StoneRidge Golf Course. Dan Sommerfield and Wyatt Pearson shot runner-up 77s to lead Sandpoint to the team title.
“Medalist Kelli Tathum shot an 84 to lead Moscow to the team title at the 4A Region I girls tournament at StoneRidge.