Gonzaga Prep boys, LC girls capture GSL 4A/3A golf titles

May 8—There was no shortage of drama when the Greater Spokane League settled the 4A/3A boys team championship and individual player of the year Tuesday at Wandermere Golf Course.

Everything fell into place for Gonzaga Prep in the fifth and final GSL match. The Bullpups shot a 2-over-par 282 to take first by one shot over Mead, two over Cheney and eight over Lewis and Clark.

Gonzaga Prep picked up 10 points for the victory to boost its season total to 46.5 points, one ahead of Lewis and Clark, which had led by two points entering Tuesday's match.

"Everything broke right for us," Bullpups coach Dennis Dougherty said.

"We definitely played our best of the season. I kind of walked in thinking, 'Let's play well and there's no pressure on us,' but I didn't think we would win outright. I thought the best we'd end up was sharing (the title)."

There wasn't much suspense on the girls side as Lewis and Clark rolled to its second straight championship.

The Tigers, led by player of the year Amanda Nguyen's 2-over 72, won by 15 strokes over Gonzaga Prep.

LC won the final four GSL events and finished with 49 points. Gonzaga Prep was second with 43 points. Mead (41) was third and Ridgeline (37) was fourth.

"I'm so proud of my girls," said coach Michelle Grafos, who has led the Tigers to 11 GSL championships in her 19 seasons, including two COVID years with no titles awarded. "We're really stressed conditioning.

"We not only walk 18 (holes) in matches but also every Thursday and Saturday, so we've been playing three rounds a week as much as possible. We put a huge focus on short game and fundamentals. We're peaking at the right time."

Nguyen, who shared player of the year honors last year with Mead's Brooke Bloom, finished with a 71.3 scoring average. Players are allowed to drop their two worst scores. Nguyen's two dropped scores were 75 and 77.

"She just really ran away with it," Grafos said. "She's always been a hard worker, but she kind of changed the way she approached practice, which really helped her."

Mt. Spokane's Mia Bontrager was second at 77.3, followed by Gonzaga Prep's Lisette Durkin at 78.3 and Bloom at 78.6. Other first-team selections: Ridgeline's Carolyn Rose (79.6), Lewis and Clark's Eve Parker (86.6) and Madi Rickel (87.6), and Gonzaga Prep's Mariah Frank (88.3).

LC and Gonzaga Prep qualified for District 8 play against teams from the Mid-Columbia Conference at Sun Willows in Pasco on Monday and Tuesday.

The Tigers will be without Nguyen, who will be presenting her research at the Society for Science Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles.

North Central's Teigen Brill and Mead's Cam Cantillana shared the boys player of the year award with a 70.6 scoring average. Cantillana, who played on Mead's State 3A championship team last season, shot 1-under 69 at Wandermere. Brill, who placed seventh at state a year ago, shot a 70.

"I think they both just stuck with it," Dougherty said. "Both are really incredible players and also really great guys. Our guys love playing with those two."

Seven players joined Cantillana and Brill on the first team, including Cheney's Justin Krasselt (71), LC's Jack Brigham (71), Gonzaga Prep's Dillon Schrock (71.3), Mead's Ben Barrett (71.6) and LC's Michael Pirrie (72).

Cheney's Ryan Howe, Gonzaga Prep's Matthew Hughes and John Malsam, and Lewis and Clark's Geo Pirrie — all with 72.3 scoring averages — rounded out the first team. Hughes posted Tuesday's top score with a 4-under 66.

Gonzaga Prep's top four players had scoring averages between 71.3 and 75 while LC's top four checked in at 71 to 74.6.

Gonzaga Prep and Lewis and Clark advance to District 8 play on Monday and Tuesday at Sun Willows, attempting to qualify for the State 4A tourney the following week at Indian Canyon.

Cheney, Mead and Ridgline qualified for the District 8 3A boys tournament Wednesday and next Thursday at MeadowWood. The Mead, Ridgeline and Ferris girls compete at Liberty Lake on the same two days.