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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Prep golf: Gonzaga Prep’s Nate Plaster, Mt. Spokane’s Megan Billeter earn Greater Spokane League honors

Gonzaga Prep secured the Greater Spokane League boys golf title Wednesday and the future certainly looks bright for the Bullpups.

That applies to upcoming district, regional and state tournaments, as well as the next few years.

Freshman Nate Plaster carded a 2-over-par 72 at Sun Dance and earned the GSL player of the year. The Bullpups totaled 376, 13 strokes in front of Central Valley.

Mt. Spokane senior Megan Billeter was the girls medalist with an 81 and easily captured player of the year with a 78.0 scoring average.

The Wildcats collected their third GSL title in four years. Lewis and Clark won Wednesday’s tournament, but Mt. Spokane finished the regular season with 48 points, one ahead of LC.

G-Prep’s boys finished the regular season with 47 points. Mead, also stocked with underclassmen, took second with 44, followed by CV (41).

“We won one a couple years ago, but this one is different,” Bullpups coach Dennis Dougherty said. “That was winning it with a bunch of seniors. Now it’s winning with some seniors, a couple of juniors and a couple of really good freshmen.”

Plaster and Mead sophomore Zane Mularski began the day tied in the player of the year standings. Mularski took an early lead, but Plaster pulled away on the back side.

“Honestly, I’ve been struggling with putting, but I’m working on it,” said Plaster, who closed his round with a 2-foot birdie putt. “Some of them aren’t falling, but eventually they will.”

Mularski shot a 77 and took second in the overall standings with a 73.5 scoring average. He was joined on the GSL first team by Shadle Park’s Mitchell Weipert, G-Prep’s Will Reeves, Mt. Spokane’s Gunnar Knutson and Central Valley’s Isaac Emerson and Zach Stocker.

Billeter turned in 1 over but had a rough closing stretch. It hasn’t been an easy few weeks for Billeter, who thought she had strep throat only to learn she has mononucleosis.

“It’s my last year of high school and I’ve been through this four years,” said Billeter, part of three GSL title teams. “It’s been an unbelievable experience and I wouldn’t change it.”

Billeter was joined on the GSL first team by University sophomore Courtney Jackson, G-Prep’s Hannah Rieckers, LC’s Skylar Kersten, Mead’s Camryn Culp and Mt. Spokane’s Katie Maher and Brooke Fraser.

“She’s a trooper,” Mt. Spokane coach Ryan Nelson said of Billeter. “She deserves everything she’s got. She’s going to play (at Western Washington) and it’s paid for. This was a big goal for her, to win the GSL. She’s worked for it.”