Haley May was in the best position of Sweet Home’s golfers after the first day of district tournament play Monday, May 8.
May, playing for the first time with a full team of Husky girls at the district tournament, at Santiam Golf Club in Stayton, was standing fourth after shooting a 96, girls coach Alan May said.
Freshman Brook Womach had the second-best score for Sweet Home on the first day, shooting a 123, followed by junior Alayna Davis and sophomore Nicole Grady, tied at 128, and freshman Lexi Schilling, who finished with a 151.
Alan May said the girls were sitting sixth as a team, with Taft leading the tournament.
Haley May, a junior who qualified for state last year, will have to hold her own to qualify this time around. An individual golfer must finish in the top five of the tournament to make state.
“There are two or three other girls within a couple of strokes of her,” he said. “It’s tight this time.”
In the boys tournament at Cottage Grove, Sweet Home did not get off to the start the Huskies were hoping for, Coach Pat Davis said.
Junior Jake Hindmarsh shot a 92 to lead Sweet Home, tying him for sixth. Behind him were three freshmen: Travis Thorpe, who finished with a 106, Davin Guzman at 113, and Carson Smith, who shot 120. Junior Seth Wright finished with a 120.
Smith qualified for the district team in a match played at Black Butte’s Big Meadow course on Thursday, May 4, rounding out the team of two juniors and three freshmen.
“It’s exciting and it makes me a little nervous,” Pat Davis said. “There’s a big difference between JV and varsity.”
Wright posted the best score of the day, a 93, playing with one of the best high school golfers in the state, Davis said.
The weather has improved, which helps his players, he said.
“For the first time this year we had spectacular weather. It was an all-around great day of golf.”