WHS Golf

April 20 at Adna: The Adna Pirates sailed in to their home port--Riverside Golf Course--in Chehalis and stole the league championship from the Wahkiakum Mules by six strokes 194-200.

It was a close match from beginning to end as the Mules opened with their 1-2 kick as Brody Carlson carded the medalist round of 42 while Logan LaBerge tied with Pirate’s leader Braeden Salme at 44 for second place. Pirates number two player Andrew Grim came in with a 55, so the Mules had an early lead as the first few groups posted scores. That was pretty much the end of the good news for the visiting Mules.

Nine hole high school matches are determined by the best four of six scores, and that’s when the looting began. The Pirates' late arrival from the fifth and sixth players Chris McGuire and Chase Collins posted 47 (3rd) and 48 (5th) respectively while Mule’s Avery Wiltse-Hiatt 55 (8th) and Braxton Johns 59 (10th) brought the Mule’s four-ball total to 200, which was 31 strokes better then their last visit to Riverside GC. Pirate Aaron Aselton shot 51 to bring the Adna’s total to 194. Columbia Adventist’s Braided Ermshar finished 46 (4th) however they fielded an incomplete squad score.

Hat’s off to Adna coach Luke Salme and the Pirates for winning the league championship. They only had one loss last week at Wahkiakum, a score of 194 is their best four-ball total of the year. They had a balanced attack and improved all year. The Mules finished the season 21-2 and hope to fair better next Wednesday at the District Championship at Three Rivers GC, Kelso.

April 19 at Kalama: All five Mules golfers were making their first visit to Lewis River Golf Course on what started as a very slow day. Some confusion on the tee times meant the Mules had to intermingle with another 2A girls tournament slated for the same time.

Conditions were gorgeous. However, the narrow tree lined fairways and several river crossings gave the Mule golfers an eerie feeling; however, they persevered shooting a four-ball score of 201 to Kalama’s 247 while Toutle Lake and Ilwaco fielded incomplete teams.

Logan LaBerge edged host Todd Tabor by one stroke, shooting 45. Kaleo Silva shot 51 for 3rd place while Avery Wiltse-Hiatt carded a 52 for 4th. Braxton Johns got 5th with a 53 and Sebastian Britt had a 61.

The Mules moved their record to 19-1.

April 14 at Skyline GC: The Wahkiakum Mules hoped to avenge the only loss of the season, a 16 stroke loss at Adna on March 29. We talked about the depth of the Adna squad and how we would need someone to step up against the league leaders that always seem to shoot a four-ball score in the low 200’s. As it turns out, they posted their best mark of the season 198, but it wasn’t enough as the Mules posted a 195, also their best. Stepping up was an understatement. Posting a nine hole match school record 32, three under par, was senior Logan LaBerge, just two days after he had a melt down at Newaukum Valley with a 53. He decided to quit worrying about the score and just go out and play. Play he did.

When you think about all the players in Wahkiakum’s 15 year history: Cody Olsen 2007 District Champion, Cole Claussen fifth in state 2010; Sarah Shi, Quad District Medalist and sixth in state in 2016, those six district championships and three state trophies in 2011, 2013 and 2015. No one ever shot three under in a nine hole match. This record will stand for a while, unless he breaks it.

It’s a good thing Logan beat the nearest competitor by 11 strokes because the Mules needed that margin. Adna’s Braeden Salme shot 43 for second and Chris McGuire third with 48. Mary M. Knight's Alex Moran shot 50 for fourth. Mules Avery Wiltse-Hiatt and Kaleo Silva tied for sixth with Pirate Andrew Grim, Toutle’s Zach Swanson and William Gould all with 53s.

The Mules scored 195, Adna 198 and NWC 249; Toutle Lake and Mary M. Knight were both incomplete.