Warden boys and girls district champs
The 2012 Warden Cougar boys golf team. Pictured form left are Trent Bates, Connor Hayes, Conrad Ruge, Jordan Manville, Caleb Caballero and Saxon Swindler.
The Warden Cougar girls golf team. Pictured from left are Hannah Bisnett, Jessica Haynes, Taylor Edson, Rachel Crow, Alexys Joeely and Keisha Urwin.
CHELAN - The Cougar boys and girls golf teams had a very successful outing in Chelan Monday as both were crowned 2B District 5/6 champion.
The boys (371) turned back second place Oroville (386) by 15 strokes. Riverside Christian finished third with 388. Entiat, Manson, Lake Roosevelt, Waterville and the Columbia Basin Secondary School team scores were incomplete.
The girls finished with a team score of 431, and won by default as they were the only school to field enough golfers for a team score.
Boys
The Cougar boys were led by Conrad Ruge who shot 86. Caleb Calballero carded 90, Connor Haynes turned in a 97, and Trent Bates finished with 99.
All four golfers qualified for state. Jordan Manville (108) and Saxon Swindler (121) missed the cut and will not be participating on the big stage.
"It was great to see four of our guys qualify for state," coach Steve Tolley said. "As you can see by the scores it wasn't their best day. But everything is relative when you are playing tournament golf."
Warden had four guys qualify for state last year, Caballero being one of them. But only two golfers made the cut after the practice round on day one of the tournament.
Tolley said all the Cougar qualifiers have a chance to make the cut this year.
"If they play their game, all four could make the cut," he said. "I hear the course is very tight and has a lot of sand ... something we are not used to ... but we've been working a lot on our accuracy. We'll go over there with a good attitude and try and keep the ball in play and see where the chips fall."
Girls
Jessica Haynes (95) set the pace in the girls competition as she led the field and was the low round medalist in the tournament.
Taylor Edson placed second with a 104. Rachel Crow shot 113, and Keisha Urwin finished with 119.
All four girls made the cut and qualified to play in the state tournament in Lakewood May 21 to 23.
Hannah Bisnett shot 133 and was originally tabbed as the first alternate. But she has been bumped up to the seventh and final qualifying spot as one of the other girls dropped out of the competition.
"We had a pretty good year. There are not many girls in our league, so we won all league games, due to no other school filling a full team," coach Myrtle Voss said. "But I think if the girls can stay focused on the course and their game, they will do okay at state. The course is tight and a little different than what we are used to, so they will need to be on their toes."