Ponies on the Prairie

Every golfer loves playing on his or home course. So, it would stand to reason that the Havre High golf teams were going to have a great day at Prairie Farms Golf Course. And, the Blue Ponies did just that.

Thursday at Prairie Farms, the Blue Ponies played host to the annual Havre Invitational, where the HHS boys finished first, the Pony girls took fourth, and most importantly, head coach George Ferguson said, all of his players played strong golf.

"It was a great day," Ferguson said. "The competition was really good, it was a tough field, and Prairie Farms is a very challenging course. So, with the scores our kids shot, I couldn't be happier. The Ponies played very well on their home course, that's for sure."

The Pony boys didn't just play well, they pulled off a 10-shot victory over Eastern A rival Sidney, while CMR finished third, Lewistown took fourth, and Browning came in fifth.

A big reason why the Ponies were able to win the team title Thursday was consistency. Havre had four players break the 90 barrier, led by junior Caleb Chambliss, who shot an 81 for a second-place finish overall. Chambliss' sparked the Ponies with his outstanding play, but, he had help, as Caleb Spangler finished in a tie for third with an 85, senior Tyrel Kjersem shot 86 and sophomore Theron Peterson added an 88. Junior Josh Warp rounded out the scoring for the Pony varsity team.

"Our boys played really well," Ferguson said. "Caleb Chambliss is off to a really good start this season. He's been playing great from tee to green. And I can't say enough about how well Caleb Spangler played again today. He's been so impressive for a first-year player.

"I'm really proud of the boys," he added. "Of course, we had some ups and downs, and that's golf, but, overall, our boys put a really good foot forward today, and I think they showed that this team has a lot of potential moving forward. Even our JV guys that played, they all shot some really good scores, so, it was just a realy good day for all those guys, and I definitely think they'll keep it rolling."

The Havre girls couldn't catch strong teams from Sidney and Lewistown for the team title at Prairie Farms, but, with the Ponies being such a young team this season, Ferguson said scores are still not as important as how his girls play and the experience they're gaining.

"Our girls did great," Ferguson said. "The scorecard might be the bottom line in golf, but, right now, I'm much more focused on how they're seining, how they're playing the course, and are they improving? And our girls did that today. They did a great job, and all played much better than they did in Great Falls, and that's really exciting."

Indeed. The three HHS girls who played earlier this week in Great Falls, all bettered their previous results. Jocelyn Staples posted a 102 Thursday, which put her just outside the Top 5, while Sophie Kirkpatrick shot 115 and Carlee Kato added a 129. Freshman Sylvie McKeon-Hanson made her varsity debut as well, scoring a 120.

"The girls going to keep improving," Ferguson said. "And that's the main goal. And I think all four of them got better today, no matter what the scorecard reads. They did great on their home course.

"For the varsity kids, this was their only chance to play at home this season," Ferguson said. "So it was an exciting day. It was a lot of fun. Our kids represented Havre High golf the right way today, and I'm proud of them for that. And they all played some good golf, and I think they got better, and that's what I wanted. I wanted them to enjoy their only home meet, have fun and have pride in hosting their own tournament, and above all else, make progress, and they did all of that and then some today. So our tournament was a blast. It was just a really good, fun day."

The Ponies have little time to rest, however. On Saturday, Havre will head to the East Glacier Lodge Golf Course for the 2019 Browning Invitational.

HAVRE INVITATIONAL

at Prairie Farms Golf Course

BOYS

Top 5 Individuals

1. Caleb Myers, LEW, 78; 2. Caleb Chambliss, HAV, 81; 3. Matt Hansen, SID, 85; 4. Jake Henderson, LEW, 85; 5. Caleb Spangler, HAV, 85. (Ties broken by scorecard tiebreaker)

Team Scoring

HAVRE BOYS - 340 (1st)

Caleb Chambliss 81

Theron Peterson 88

Caleb Spangler 85

Josh Warp 91

Tyrel Kjersem 86

SIDNEY BOYS - (2nd)

Matt Hansen 85

Kade Anderson 87

Bryce Wold 91

Tate Hazel 91

Logan Schumacker 87

CMR BOYS - 386 (3rd)

Carter Phillips 128

DanJuneau 97

Trey Wasson 99

Carter Corn 95

Taggert Rittel 95

FERGUS BOYS - 388 (4th)

Jake Henderson 85

Caleb Myers 78

Trace Martin 110

Carson Barta 115

BROWNING - BOYS - 471 (5th)

Benny Kittson 110

Chris Hall 104

Kelton Crawford 121

Keenan Rides At The Door148

Francis Ground 136

GREAT FALLS HIGH - BOYS - NS

Wyeth Hayes 101

Brady Zinms 124

Anthony Semenza 140

GIRLS

Top 5 Individuals

1. Sarah Karanjai, SID, 89; 2. Emma Torgerson, SID, 96; 3. Allison Denton, LEW, 97; Sequoia Butterfly, BRW, 97; 5. Jill Sunchief, BRW, 101. (Ties broken by scorecard tiebreaker)

SIDNEY GIRLS -395 (1st)

Karly Volk 103

Sarah Karanjai 89

Adriana Beyerle 107

Emma Torgerson 96

Emilee Iversen 109

FERGUS GIRLS - 451 (2nd)

Allison Denton 97

Jacy Ayers 109

Mariah Fogle 133

Izzy Mecklenburg 112

BROWNING GIRLS -452 (3rd)

Jill Surechief 101

Sequoia Butterfly 97

Brittney Wagner 126

Latasha Fitzgerald 128

HAVRE GIRLS - 466 (4th)

Jocelyn Staples 102

Sophie Kirkpatrick 115

Carlee Kato 129

Sylvia McKeon-Hanson 120

CMR GIRLS - 521 (5th)

Isabella Corn 135

Kylie Henderson 128

Della Everhart 135

Alex Madsen 132

Hailey Thompson 126