Basin golfers swing strong at state

COLUMBIA BASIN — Four golfers finished in the top 10 of their respective state golf tournaments last week, including a state champion and a runner-up from Almira/Coulee-Hartline and Ephrata.

1B/2B Girls State Golf Championship - Tumwater Valley Golf Club, Tumwater

Coming off a fourth place finish in 2023 and back-to-back district championships, ACH sophomore Naomi Molitor’s confidence was through the roof entering last week’s state golf tournament.

“Last year was my first year, and so I was very nervous,” Molitor said. “Going back this year I had a lot more confidence that I could accomplish something a lot better this year.”

Before winning a district title, Molitor was down by one stroke through the first day of districts, shooting an 84 on the first day. The sophomore responded by shooting an 85 the second day.

“The first day I was really excited,” Molitor said. “I had a lot of confidence to go out there and play. After the first day, I was down one stroke but I had confidence and wasn’t too worried. I was excited to go out there and play again.”

Despite adverse conditions on the course the first day of state, Molitor found herself down by one stroke to Wahkiakum’s Avrey Wiltse-Hiatt and tied with Odessa’s Melloney Deife for second place. 

“It was a really rainy day, so the course was in tough conditions,” Molitor said. “But, I played pretty decent course management. Just kept the ball in play and made some good putts here and there.”

Down by one stroke entering day two, Molitor shaved off three strokes on the second day at the Tumwater Valley Golf Club, and with a total score of 173 finished three strokes ahead of Deife for the state championship.

“It was a lot like districts,” Molitor said. “I thought very confident, and I wasn’t really worried about losing or having a bad day. I just felt more confident in my game, went out there and played my best and it turned out very well.”

In her first two seasons of high school golf, Molitor has brought back two placings at the state tournament; 2023’s fourth-place finish and now this year’s state championship.

“It was really kind of shocking because it was my first experience of accomplishing something that big,” Molitor said. 

Alongside Molitor at last week’s 1B/2B Girls State Golf Championship was Warden senior Lauryn Madsen, who reached the state tournament after a fifth-place finish at the Eastern Washington Athletic Conference district tournament earlier this month.

“Golf’s not a super stressful sport for me, so I just try to go out there and have fun and see how it goes,” Madsen said. “I got to golf with one of my teammates that day, and I think that kind of helped with everything; it made it a little bit more enjoyable, and I think when I’m having fun is when I golf the best.”

Day one at state saw Madsen shoot a 91, which she said was her best score in her golf career.

“That first day the weather was absolutely terrible, but that was the best I’ve ever played, so that was pretty cool,” Madsen said. “Making it to the second day was an achievement already, so I was just trying to have fun; it didn’t go as good as the first day, but a 189 total was the best I’ve ever done.”

Focusing on the mental aspect was key for Madsen, who is a three-time state qualifier.

“The main thing for golf is, it’s a very mental game,” Madsen said. “If you let your bad holes get to you, it just makes you play worse. My mentality is if you have a bad hole, just flush it and if I have a good hole just try and keep that going.”

The senior shot a 98 on day two of the state tournament, totaling a score of 189. Madsen tied with Tri-Cities Prep’s Kennedy Douglas for seventh-place at the 1B/2B state tournament.

“The years before I’d never placed as an individual, so to be in just the top 10 would have been pretty cool,” Madsen said. “To be up there with some of the really good golfers, it was pretty cool to see my name up there.”

2A Girls State Golf Championship - MeadowWood Golf Course, Liberty Lake

Through the first day of the 2A Girls Golf State Championship, Ephrata junior Jayme Dwight’s score of 72 led all golfers at the tournament.

“I was feeling great – I was playing amazing, everything felt great,” Dwight said. “I woke up and was feeling a little uneasy and a little nervous at first. I was definitely scared because it’s state, and I just remembered to keep what my coaches tell me in mind and not to stress. Always remember there’s plenty more golf if you have a bad hole.”

The front nine became more challenging on day two, Dwight said.

“The weather got extremely bad on the front nine, some crazy wind and rain – you could barely swing the club because you’d be scared the club was going to slide out of your hand because of the rain,” Dwight said. “It got pretty bad there, but after that died down I got back in the groove and I was able to save on the back nine and play about the same that I did on the first day.”

Dwight finished second in the 2A girls tournament with a total score of 150; in 2023 she finished tied for eighth with a score of 158, and finished tied for 17th with a score of 173 her freshman season.

“I just realized that I kept improving and I made a huge jump from my freshman year,” Dwight said. “By the time my senior year rolls around, I might be able to grasp at that state championship.”

Before hitting the course at state, Dwight captured a Central Washington Athletic Conference district championship by shooting a 77 at the May 14 district tournament in Yakima. Dwight credited her fellow teammates and coaches for guiding her along the way.

“They really helped me by keeping me focused and cheering me on,” Dwight said. “Calming me down if I was getting stressed – especially my coaches out there. I would see them throughout districts and they would talk me through things.”

This was Dwight’s third straight state tournament appearance; the junior was also named the CWAC girls golf Most Valuable Player for the third year in a row.

“They gave me the experience that’s needed and helped me prepare,” Dwight said of her past state appearances. “Each year that I've gone I got more and more experienced with it and how it rolls.”

4A Boys State Golf Championship - Indian Canyon Golf Course, Spokane

Back at the state tournament for the second consecutive year, Moses Lake sophomore Mason Bradford led the 4A boys tournament through the first day by shooting a 69 at Indian Canyon.

“I played really well – my game was very good, I was making putts and my misses, they weren’t as bad,” Bradford said. “It was a good round.”

Bradford’s lead slipped away on day two, but the sophomore still secured a score of 143 to tie for fifth place in the state – there was a four-way tie for first place.

“The second day, it was tough,” Bradford said. “I had to battle for that one, it just didn’t go my way. There was one bad hole that got me, but I just learned so much this year.”

Bradford said he learned how to play in the elements last season, something that came in handy this year.

“Last year it was raining, so that taught me how to grind through that,” Bradford said. “I was sitting outside the cut after the first day, and I really just battled the second day and got in.”

With two years of high school golf still upcoming, Bradford said he’s looking to improve on his fifth-place finish.

“The goal is to defend it, and I think next year the goal is to win,” Bradford said. “That was the goal this year, and I don’t think anything’s changed.”

Prior to teeing off at the state tournament, Bradford posted a third-place finish at the Columbia Basin Big 9 district tournament earlier this month, finishing two strokes behind Eastmont’s Andrew Hobson and Cal Anderson.

“I had a really strong first day; we had really good conditions, it was really nice out,” Bradford said. “It didn’t go my way the second day, but powered through and got to state with the team.”

Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com. 

Statewide results

4A

Boys - Indian Canyon Golf Course, Spokane

Mason Bradford - tied-fifth place, score of 143; 69 in the first round, 74 in the second round.

Junior Quinten Whittall - tied for 30th place, score of 154; 78 in the first round, 76 in the second round.

Senior Isaiah Patino - 81; missed second-round cut.

Sophomore Christian Mathis - 89; missed second-round cut.

Sophomore Grady Walker - 94; missed second-round cut.

Girls - The Creek at Qualchan, Spokane

Senior Addi Nighswonger - 36th place, score of 185; 94 in the first round, 91 in the second round.

Senior Jayda Redford - 104; missed second-round cut.

2A

Boys - Liberty Lake Golf Course, Liberty Lake

Ephrata

Junior Tristen MacNeil - 40th place, score of 177; 83 in the first round, 94 in the second round.

Freshman Caiden Weber - 97; missed second-round cut.

Othello

Junior Samson McDonald - 41st place, score of 185; 82 in the first round, 103 in the second round.

Senior Ajay Parrish - 88; missed second-round cut.

Senior Cain Muro - 95; missed second-round cut.

Girls - MeadowWood Golf Course, Liberty Lake

Ephrata

Jayme Dwight - second place, score of 150; 72 in the first round, 78 in the second round.

Junior Ali Helaas - 102; missed second-round cut.

Sophomore Stella Bayley - 103; missed second-round cut.

Othello

Senior Mariah Murdock - 31st place, score of 192; 94 in the first round, 98 in the second round.

Junior Sami Shade - 102; missed second-round cut.

Senior Rachel Bates - 120; missed second-round cut.

1A

Boys - Riverside Golf Club, Chehalis

Quincy

Freshman Boden Highfill - 106; missed second-round cut.

Royal

Senior Caden Allred - 89; missed second-round cut.

Junior Ezra Jenks - 91; missed second-round cut.

1B/2B

Boys - Tumwater Valley Municipal Golf Club

Almira/Coulee-Hartline

Junior Jack Molitor - 92; missed second-round cut.

Lind-Ritzville/Sprague

Senior Lance Williamson - 20th place, score of 170; 87 in the first round, 83 in the second round. 

Girls - Tumwater Valley Municipal Golf Club

ACH

Naomi Molitor - state champion, score of 173; 88 in the first round, 85 in the second round.

Warden

Madsen - tied for seventh place, score of 189; 91 in the first round, 98 in the second round.

Senior Eily Castillo - 109; missed second-round cut.

    Moses Lake sophomore Mason Bradford, left, tied for fifth at the 4A Boys State Golf Championship in Spokane last week, totaling a score of 143. Bradford led the classification with a first-round score of 69.
  

    Making her third appearance at the 2A Girls State Golf Tournament, Ephrata junior Jayme Dwight took second place in the tournament at Liberty Lake last week.
  

    Warden senior Lauryn Madsen, a three-time state qualifier, tied for seventh at last week’s 1B/2B Girls State Golf Championship in Tumwater.