Mac Golf: Grizzly girls win conference, boys send Slaughter to state

Photo courtesy of McMinnville Golf##From left to right: Isobel Rudolph, Mabel Findley, Maria Burke, Ben Heuberger, Amelia Duryee and Gabby Diamond pose with the Pacific Conference trophy after their title winning team match at Chehalem Glenn Golf Course on Tuesday, May 5. Three players hit personal bests to topple Sherwood and earn an automatic berth to the State Championship on May 18-19.

For the second consecutive season, McMinnville’s girls varsity golf team will be forgoing its regional tournament. That is because on Tuesday at Chehalem Glenn Golf Course in Newberg, the Grizzlies ended their rounds with a team score of 338 to claim the Pacific Conference crown.

The Bears’ score was 10 strokes better than second-place Sherwood (348).

Once again, Mac was led by the league’s top golfer in junior Mabel Findley, who finished her day on the par-72 course with a score of 75. Though not to be outdone were Maria Burke (85), Gabby Diamond (80) and Isobel Rudolph (98). The trio all secured season-best marks to earn Mac’s second straight conference title.

Burke’s best topped her score of 88 when the Grizzlies took to Chehalem Glenn on April 13. Meanwhile, Diamond and Rudolph had extreme improvements. Diamond’s previous best was 96 at Rock Creek Golf Course on April 21. For Rudolph, it was the first time shooting under 100 for the sophomore, whose next best score on the season was a 104 at Michelbook Country Club on March 17.

Getting the nod up from junior varsity and slotting into the No. 5 position was Amelia Duryee, who rounded out the team’s round with a score of 109 in her first varsity outing.

With her final 75, Findley finished her six rounds of play with a total score of 455 to beat out Newberg’s Adele Gregory (479) for the top spot in the Pacific. Findley was named the Pacific Conference Golfer of the Year for the second straight season.

Burke placed seventh (571), Diamond eighth (597) and Rudolph (670) 12th overall.

Head Coach Ben Heuberger was named Conference Coach of the Year.

The Pacific Conference regional meet will see Sherwood, Newberg and Glencoe competing to determine who else will qualify for the state tournament on May 18-19 at OGA Golf Course in Woodburn.

On the boys’ side of competition, Mac’s varsity team fell short of a trip to the regional tournament, though not for a lack of effort.

The Grizzlies shot an overall score of 314 at Chehalem Glenn on Monday, tying with Newberg and Liberty for second place on the day. McMinnville’s final seeding placed them fifth in the conference, one spot shy of a required second through fourth place seeding that would have seen them play at regionals.

However, Mac’s day was highlighted by Gage Slaughter. The senior from Western Christian continued to be among the best, hitting a season low 69 (-3) to tie with Sherwood’s Tiger Lu and earn an automatic qualifier for the state championship on May 18-19 at Emerald Valley Golf Course in Creswell.

Slaughter shot a total of 442 this season to place third in the individual Pacific standings.

Earning bids to the regional tournament at Stone Creek in Oregon City Tuesday, May 12, were Kaden Robinson and Pete Altree. Robinson shot an 83 on Monday to place 15th in the league. Altree tied his season-low of 82 at Chehalem Glenn, beating Forest Grove’s Blake Lewis to earn the third and final regional qualifier.

The top individual qualifier for regionals was Forest Grove’s Zaik Shirts, who shot a 75 on Monday and ended his six rounds at 475. Robinson and Altree totaled overall scores of 487 and 502, respectively.

Completing the Grizzlies team scores in Newberg were Chase Symons and Ben McKay. Symons hit a season-best of 80, improving on his 83 from Michelbook to start the schedule. McKay tied a season-best at 87, which was also found at Chehalem Glenn on April 13.