Golf: Wolves sending quartet to state tournaments

Shea, McMenamin repeat league title wins as three vie for championships through districts berth

 

Sequim’s top golfers repeated their efforts at the Olympic League Golf Championships on May 10.

Sequim’s Jack Shea, a senior, and Alex McMenamin, a junior, won the tournament at the Cedars at Dungeness earning automatic berths to the 2A boys and girls state golf championships in Richland on May 24-25.

At last year’s 2A state tournament, Shea tied for 10th while McMenamin tied for ninth. McMenamin placed third as a freshman in 2014.

They won’t be alone, as fellow Wolves Blake Wiker, a freshman, and Sarah Shea, a sophomore, also qualified for the state tourney, both tying for fifth overall at the league finals.

Three other Sequim golfers — Josiah Carter, a sophomore, Jade Arnold, a junior, and Sydney Balkan, a junior — look to join the SHS quartet at state as they compete at the West Central District tourney May 17 at Bremerton’s Gold Mountain Golf Club.

Jack Shea won the league tournament last year and this year he shot a season best 68, 4-under-par on 18 holes.

Sequim boys coach Bill Shea said Jack, his son, shot five birdies and only one bogey on the day.

“He showed he is consistent,” Bill Shea said.

“It’s a nice a way to end his league play for his career and jump right to state.”

Wiker, who has remained Sequim’s No. 2 for most of the season, shot in the 40s on nine holes most of the season, Bill Shea said.

“He did incredible,” he said. “He had the third best average in our league and expected him to finish around this. You never know with the pressure of an event like this but he handled himself well.”

 

Bee’s best effort not enough

Not even a bee could stop McMenamin at the league tourney.

McMenamin advances to state as a three-time winner of the league tournament now after shooting a 79, five strokes ahead of Klahowya’s McKenna Kendall.

Sequim girls coach Gary Kettel said McMenamin got a little shaken up on hole No. 10 to start the day — when a bee landed on her ball and she couldn’t get it to go away.

“She got a little flustered and took a triple bogey on the first hole,” Kettel said.

“Hole 10 is a tough hole to begin on but she came back really well shooting only 4-over on the back nine (holes). She played solid the rest of the way.”

Sarah Shea joins McMenamin at state for the first time after missing the cut at districts in 2015 by two strokes. This year she tied with Bremerton’s Tucker Alexander, shooting a 91.

“She played so good on the last nine holes,” Kettel said.

“She needed it because she had a tough first nine holes (48) but a 43 on the front nine. That nearly tied her best score of 42.”

District qualifiersCarter just missed the state cutoff by one position shooting an 82 to take sixth place among 2A competitors, and Arnold took seventh after shooting an 85.

Bill Shea said about 30 golfers compete at districts from three different leagues with nine golfers advancing to state, and said he feels Arnold and Carter have a good shot to advance.

Balkan qualified for districts after shooting a 102 at the league tournament, placing 11th among 2A finishers.

Sequim’s other competitors included Liam Payne (108), Joey Oliver (112), Samantha Smith (109), Megan O’Mera (112), and Maddie Withrow (135).

The class 2A boys state championship is May 24-25 at Horn Rapids Golf Course in Richland while the 2A girls compete at the Columbia Point Golf Course, also in Richland.