George Ferguson
Havre Daily News Sports
gferguson@havredailynews.com
The Havre High boys and girls golf teams play a very demanding schedule each and every year. That schedule includes three prestigious Class AA tournaments on some very difficult golf courses.
This weekend the Blue Ponies found some mixed results at the two-day Helena Invitational. The HHS boys had a very good weekend, placing sixth overall out of 14 teams. The Havre high girls team finished 11th out of 12 teams.
The Havre High boys finished the 36-hole event in Helena with a team score of 625. The tournament was captured by Class A powerhouse Whitefish. The Bulldogs came in with a two-day total of 578. Billings West was second and Billings Senior finished third.
Individually, the Blue Ponies did not have a top 10 finish from any of their five players this weekend, but as a team the Ponies scores were very consistent.
Junior Matt Hedstrom led the way for Havre with a 36-hole total score of 153. Hedstrom fired a very-solid 1-over par 73 on Thursday and followed that up with an 80 on Friday.
Brandon Job and Anthony Wirtzberger stayed right with Hedstrom throughout the tournament as both players shot 154s for the tournament. Wirtzberger shot consecutive 77s, while Job fired rounds of 76 and 78. Freshman Jeremy Jensen also had a solid Class AA debut coming in with a two-day total score of 165 and senior Sean Strand finished up with a 170.
Things were not so good for the HHS girls. The Ponies could only manage a team score of 802, which was nearly 100 strokes behind the champion Whitefish Bulldogs. Bozeman and Billings Skyview came in tied for second place and Billings Senior finished fourth.
Once again, junior Ali Ward paced the Ponies with a 36-hole score of 182. Ward opened the tournament with a disappointing 99, but rebounded to fire and 86 on Friday. Havre also got a very solid tournament from sophomore Stacy Sheppard. Sheppard shot back-to-back 94s for a two-day score of 188. Steadily improving sophomore Haley McLain added a 207 and freshman Tabitha Beck finished the tournament at 222.
The Blue Ponies are back in action today, as they travel to Lewistown. After today's 18-hole tournament in Lewistown, the Ponies won't be back on the course again until next Monday when they travel to the prestigious Flatfish Invitational in Kalispell and Whitefish.
Helena invitational
BOYS
Team scores
1, Whitefish 290-288-578; 2, Billings West 302-286-588; 3, Billings Senior 306-298-604; 4, Helena High 304-302-606; 5, Billings Skyview 302-306-608; 6, Havre 307-318-625; 7, C.M. Russell 316-309-625; 8, Flathead, 316-313-629; 9, Bozeman 317-318-635; 10, Helena High JV 323-325-648; 11, Great Falls High 330-322-652; 12, Capital High, 335-325-660; 13, Butte 339-325-664; 14, Capital High JV 387-356-743.
Top 10
1, Brady Kirkeby, Helena High, 76-68-144; Derek Denning, Whitefish, 74-70-144; Chris Conners, Whitefish, 70-74-144; Kyle Poore, Helena High, 69-75-144; 5, Sam Krause, Whitefish, 73-72-145; 6, Cody Swarthout, Billings West, 71-74-145; 7, Tyler Holtet, Whitefish, 73-72-145; 8, Tanner Sutton, Billings West, 78-68-146; 9, Collin Day, Helena High, 74-72-146; 10, Nick Richards, 70-76-146.
Havre (625)- Brandon Job, 76-78-154; Sean Strand, 87-83-170; Matt Hedstrom, 73-80-153; Tony Wirtzberger, 77-77-154; Jeremy Jensen, 81-84-165.
GIRLS
Team scores
1, Whitefish, 355-332-687; 2 (tie), Bozeman, 360-364-724; Billings Skyview, 361-363-724; 4, Billings Senior, 366-373-739; 5, Capital High, 388-376-764; 6, Billings West, 389-377-766; 7, Helena High, 384-387-771; 7, 8, Butte, 395-398-793; 9, Great Falls High, 396-391-787; 10, C.M. Russell, 399-390-789; 11, Havre, 413-389-802; 12, Flathead, 418-391-809.
Top 10
1, Maressa Jenson, Whitefish, 84-80-164; 2, Mackenzie Smith, Billings Senior, 80-87-167; 3, Chelsea Ray, Whitefish, 88-80-168; 4, Alex Micklewright, Whitefish, 86-83-169; 5, Lindsay Erickson, Helena High, 86-85-171; 6, Jamie Davies, Billings Skyview, 87-87-174; 7, Maria Holiday, Bozeman, 87-88-175; 8, Morgan Lee, Great Falls High, 91-86-177; 9 (tie) Alyssa Biskupiak, Capital High, 90-88-178; Jennie Morrison, Billings Skyview, 88-90-178; 10, Natasha Smith, Bozeman, 89-90-179.
Havre (802)- Ali Ward, 99-86-182; Stacey Sheppard, 94-94-188; Hailey McLain, 105-102-207; Tabitha Beck, 115-107-222.
