For the seventh straight year, the Redmond High girls’ golf team won the 18-hole 4A Kingco Medalist Tournament at Snohomish Golf Course on Tuesday, posting a phenomenal team score of 413.
But the Newport Knights caught fire on Wednesday to top Redmond in team points, 81-66, to earn the Sea-King District 2 title.
Newport’s Nicole Lomax (79-82-161) defeated Megan Wotherspoon of Eastlake (81-80-161) in a playoff to win the district tournament, which determined who advanced to the Class 4A state tournament May 24-26 in Pasco.
Redmond had four players — Kelly Kennewick (78-86-164, 3rd), Stephanie Schoeppal (81-87-168, 7th), Kiera O’Hearn (83-87-170, 8th), and Marit Swanson (85-89-174, 12th) — finish in the top 12 to earn automatic state berths. Redmond’s Carley Kalina (86-89-175) placed 13th and will be the first alternate to state.
From 4A Kingco, five state spots were earned by Redmond and Newport and three by Eastlake, with no other teams to be represented at state, which will be held at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco from May 24-26.
Redmond’s team score of 413 on the first day, led by Kingco champion Kelly Kennewick’s 78 and Stephanie Schoeppal’s 81, was a school record for the event.
With the recent good weather and course conditions, the 174 cut to make state was the lowest in district tournament history.
OWL BOYS SHINE AT DISTRICTS
The Overlake School boys’ golf team ran away from the field at the 1A district tournament at Snoqualmie Falls Golf Course on Wednesday, posting a team score of 326 to win the event.
For the Owls, freshman Danny Lee fired a six-over-par 77 to lead the team, followed by Reid Fredrickson with 80, Sam Brown with 81 and Noah Mayer with 88. Those four players, along with David Anderson, qualified for the Tri-District Tournament, which will be held at Fort Lewis Golf Course next Tuesday, May 18.
In addition, head boys’ coach Doug Weaver was voted as the Emerald City League’s Coach of the Year, with the Owls and Seattle Academy Cardinals sharing the team sportsmanship award.
BEAR CREEK BOYS WIN BACK-TO-BACK LEAGUE TITLES
Led by sweet-swinging freshman Ricky Olson, The Bear Creek School boys’ golf team successfully defended their Sea-Tac 2B League Championship on Thursday, May 6 at Seattle’s Jackson Park Golf Course, scoring 99 team points to secure the win.
Rainier Christian came in second with 55 points, followed by Northwest Yeshiva with 35.
Olson navigated the rolling hills of Jackson to shoot a 7-over-par 78, winning the individual medalist honors by six strokes.
Junior Gannon McCahill, defending league champion, finished third with an 85.
In total, five Grizzly players broke 100 and finished in the top 10 in the tournament, with Olson, McCahill and junior Will Stansell being named to the all-league first team.
The team competed at the 1B/2B Tri-District Tournament, held at Gallery Golf Course in Oak Harbor on Thursday, after the Reporter’s deadline. The top 19 boys at the district tournament qualified the state tournament. Tee times begin at noon.
