Bezdicek takes 2nd in girls 3A tournament
WOODLAND, Wash. – A worthy senior from Columbia River and a steady downpour Wednesday washed away the repeat State 3A girls golf championship hopes of Mt. Spokane junior Sierra Bezdicek.
Columbia River senior Chloe Bartek romped to the state title with a 36-hole score of 3-under par 143 at Lewis River Golf Course. Bezdicek was a distant second at 150 after shooting a 6-over par 79 Wednesday.
It was the second time in three years that Bezdicek finished second in the 3A girls tournament. Last year, Bezdicek beat her older sister, Savana, in a one-hole playoff to win the state title.
“She played really good. She definitely deserves the win,” Bezdicek said of Bartek.
For a third consecutive year, Mt. Spokane finished second in the team competition. Defending champion Hanford scored 109 points to comfortably beat the Wildcats, who had 68.
Wednesday’s weather conditions were miserable. Steady rain drenched the 5,500-yard course, so much so that there were several standing water puddles on most fairways. There was even brief consideration of reducing the tournament back to 27 holes if conditions continued to deteriorate.
Only three players in the 40-girl field shot a better score Wednesday than they did Tuesday.
Still, Bezdicek went into the final round trailing the Sacramento State-bound Bartek by one stroke. Bezdicek and Bartek were paired as a twosome in the final group, and in a sense, it was match play, as they had separated themselves from the rest of the field by several strokes following the first round.
Bartek ended most of the drama on the front nine, when she turned in 2-under par 33. With Bedzicek struggling to a 39, Bartek took a seven-stroke lead into the back nine.
Bedzicek refused to blame the weather, saying the water-logged fairways cut into her driving distance, but it was something all players had to deal with.
“It didn’t affect me too much. I just didn’t play as well as Chloe,” Bedzicek said.
Bedzicek said one of her Mt. Spokane coaches joked at the turn to brace for the “comeback of the century,” and there were moments.
Bartek made a double bogey at No. 10, and Bedzicek later eagled the par-6 12th to pull to within four strokes.
That was as close as Bedzicek could get, as she made four bogeys during the final six holes.
University’s Katie Ochoa tied for 19th at 181.
2A: Becky Birchett of Pullman was the top area finisher at 203 for 25th place at The Classic in Spanaway, Wash. Cherokee Kim of Steilacoom finished at 156 to win individual honors while Bellingham won the team title.
2B/1B: Michal Schuster of St. John-Endicott won at state championship with a 177 (86-91) at Oakbrook in Lakewood, Wash. She led the Eagles to a second-place finish with a score of 35 points, just behind Bear Creek at 36.5. Other area individuals in the top 10 were Paige Mackleit of Colfax (fourth, 193), Kim Conway (sixth, 197) of Wilbur-Creston and Sadie Garner of Northwest Christian (seventh, 199).
Boys
4A: Tanner Comes shot a 77 to finish at 152 and tie for eighth at Camas Meadows in Camas, Wash., leading Ferris to a sixth-place finish. Teammate Eric Ansett tied for 22nd at 157. Brian Humphreys of Camas won at 144 with Eastlake taking the team title.
3A: Zach Spencer finished at 157 at Tri-Mountain GC in Richfield, Wash., leading Mt. Spokane to a fifth-place finish. Teammate Nick Thurston tied for 22nd at 159.
2A: Joe Baldeck finished fourth at 151 and Michael Baldeck was tied for 10 at 158 to lead Clarkston to third place. Aaron Whalen of Ephrata was the individual winner at 140 with Hockinson the team champ. Ryan Brown of East Valley and Brian Martin of Pullman tied for 19th at 166.
1A: Josh Olson finished at 157 to tie for 12th, leading Chewelah to fourth at Lake Spanaway GC in Tacoma. Teammate Clint Long was 20th at 161 and Gage Anderson of Newport 21st at 162. Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) was 12th.
2B/1B: Hunter Weitze completed his two rounds at 165 at Oakbrook, tying for fourth place as his Colfax placed fifth. Palmer Guhlke of Davenport tied for ninth at 170.