Vikings headed to state golf tournament next week
The Bigfork High School boys golf team is off to state.
The golf team traveled to Helena Tuesday for divisionals for at the Bill Roberts Golf Course. The top four teams and 15 best individuals advance to the Class B state tournament on May 12-13 at Huntley Project.
The Bigfork boys placed third as a team behind Townsend and Manhattan with a score of 342.
The Vikings were led by Joseph Potkonjak who tied for second individually with a 75. Colton Stodghill finished next for Bigfork, placing 12th with an 84.
The boys have been playing well this season, winning their home invitational for the first time ever.
On Thursday last week the Bigfork boys won the St. Regis Invitational at Trestle Creek Golf Course.
The Vikings secured the top second, third and fourth spots at the tournament. Potkonjak led the Vikes with a 78, followed by Jon Landon with 80 and Stodghill with 82.
Last Tuesday Potkonjak shot a 2-over-par 74 to win the Seeley-Swan Blackfoot Invite golf tournament at Double Arrow Golf Course. The Bigfork boys finished in second place as a team, 11 strokes behind Missoula Loyola.
Potkonjak’s round gave him a two-stroke victory on Seeley-Swan’s Micah Nicholas. Eureka’s Chase Bohne finished sixth with a 10-over 82. Bigfork’s Ryder Trent tied for 10th at 85 with Ronan’s Fisher Niemeyer.
Augie Emslie finished in 14th for the Vikings.
No girls will represent Bigfork at the state tournament. Both Kallister Meagher and Melissa Paulsen finished outside the top 15 with a 113 and 122. Meagher and Paulsen placed in the top 10 last week at Seeley-Swan.
Meagher was sixth with a 106 and Paulsen ninth at 120. At St. Regis Meagher was third with 111 and Cecily Taylor was fifth with 119.
Class B Boys Divisional Tournament
Team finish –, 1. Townsend, 329; 2. Manhattan, 339; 3. Bigfork, 342; 4. Thompson Falls, 346; 5. Loyola, 347; 6. Deer Lodge, 351; 7. Three Forks, 353; 8. Jefferson, 362; 9. Ronan, 363; 10. Big Timber, 367; 11. Eureka, 395
Bigfork -- Joseph Potkonjak, 75; Colton Stodghill, 84; Ryder Trent, 94; Jonathan Landon, 89; Augie Emslie, 104
St.Regis Invitational
At Trestle Creek Golf Course
Team scores: Bigfork 329, Thompson Falls 343, Ronan 356, Seeley-Swan 360, Superior 409, Loyola Sacred Heart 451.
Top 10 individuals
1. Dalton Hooten, T. Falls;73; 2. Joseph Potkonjak, Bigfork;78; 3. Johnathon Landon, Bigfork;80; 4 Colton Stodghill, Bigfork;82; 5. Micah Nicholas, Seeley;84; 6. Fisher Neimeyer, Ronan;84; 7. Cole Benson, Plains;85; 8.Vincent Bird-Webster, Ronan;85; 9. Logan Hakes, Ronan;86; 10. Caleb Bates, T. Falls;87
GIRLS
Team scores: Thompson Falls 474.
Top 10 individuals
1. Brooklyn Olson, Ronan;100; 2. Brooke Jacobs, T. Falls;106; 3. Kalli Meagher, Bigfork;111; 4. Courtney Cheesman, St. Regis;117; 5. Ceciley Taylor, Bigfork;119; 6. Lauryn Hales, Ronan;119; 7. Ashley Cheesman, St. Regis;120’ 8. Elsie Brown, T. Falls;121; 9. Jessica Bronner, T. Falls;122; 10. Kaitlyn Wozrhaye, Ronan;123
Seeley-Swan Blackfoot Invite
At Double Arrow Golf Course
BOYS
Team scores: Loyola Sacred Heart 333, Bigfork 344, Seeley-Swan 350, Ronan 361, Eureka 389, Deer Lodge 391, Superior 412.
Top 15 individuals
1, Joseph Potkonjak, Big, 74; 2, Micah Nicholas, S-S, 76; 3, Tommy Tirrell, LSH, 77; 4, McKinley Nicholas, S-S, 79; 5, Thomas Sellman, LSH, 80; 6, Chase Bohne, Eur, 82; 7, Josh Benda, Sup, 83; t-8, Derek Walker, DL, 84; t-8, Bryan Swanson, LSH, 84; t-10, Ryder Trent, Big, 85; t-10, Fisher Niemeyer, Ron, 85; t-12, Vincent Bird-Webster, Ron, 88; t-12, Logan Hakes, Ron, 88; 14, Augie Emslie, Big, 89; t-15, Koby Owens, DL, 92; t-15, Michael Hoffman, LSH, 92.
BIGFORK (344) – Joseph Potkonjak, 74; Ryder Trent, 85; Augie Emslie, 89; Jonathon Landon, 96; Jacob Haberlock, 107.