MLHS golfer to compete at state
Senior Caiden Gubler lines up a shot on the course. Gubler is the first Chiefs golfer to make state since 2018.
FILE PHOTO
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake boys and girls golf teams both had achievements in district competitions earlier this week, with Caiden Gubler moving on to the boys state competition.
“Caden improved his game,” Moses Lake boy’s assistant coach Kevin Whittall said. “It was good to see.”
Gubler, who is a senior in his second year on the team, had stepped up into a leadership role over the course of the season, according to Whittall. Now with that, he has earned a trip to the state championship next week in Olympia.
“He’s like a senior captain,” Whittall said.
Among the six golfers the Chiefs sent to districts, Gubler was the only to qualify for state. Freshman Quinten Whittall finished 15th, junior Merritt Meacham finished 20th, senior Ethan Sands finished 24th and sophomore Isaiah Patino and junior Cody Byers tied for 25th.
“It’s a great accomplishment to send someone to state for golf,” coach Whittall said. “They all did well. I know Quinten finished [15th]. He’s my son, so I gotta throw him in there and give him some credit.”
In the girls district competition, the young team gained valuable experience according to head coach Lonny Brown. At districts on Monday freshman Rhylee Humphrey shot a 121, sophomore Jayda Redford 126 and freshman Eastlyn Cranston 132. With such a young team, Brown believes the experience of going to a district tournament will pay dividends in the future.
“We are a very young team and it was every girl's first experience at a district tournament,” Brown said via email. “They will learn from this for our future.”
Two weeks ago in Pod 7, the final Pod of the season, Redford shot a 104, her lowest score of her high school career. The 104 score allowed Redford to tie for sixth place in Pod 7.
The state golf tournament will take place next Friday and Saturday at Indian Summer Golf & Country Club in Olympia. Gubler is one of 36 individual golfers to make state competition, and the first Chiefs golfer to make it to state since Sam Roeber in 2018.
Coach Whittall spoke on the importance of having a true district and state competition this season, something the team wasn’t able to have last year.
“It’s been exciting,” he said of the return of postseason play. “With Covid we didn’t have a tournament, so we were cheated out of that last year.”
Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com.