GOLF: Bigfork's Joseph Potkonjak tied for lead after first round at state tourney
HUNTLEY — The top golfers in Class B separated from the pack on the first day of play at the state tournament on Tuesday at the Johnny Walker course at Pryor Creek Golf Club.
Bigfork senior Joseph Potkonjak and Libby freshman Ryggs Johnston leapt to the front of the leaderboard with stellar play in the first round, each carding a 3-under-par 68.
Johnston opened the front nine with a 32, and Potkonjak hung close throughout to enter the final round of play tied for first place.
Johnston, the state junior amateur champion, was thought to be a favorite entering the tournament as was Potkonjak, who tied for second last season.
Anaconda senior Caleb Stetzner, the Class A state champion in his last prep season, is one stroke back in third place. Manhattan senior Joey Peter, the defending Class B champion, is in fifth with a 71.
The Shelby boys lead Bigfork by two strokes in the team race. Manhattan is currently in third place.
Libby senior Jonny Cielak and Ronan’s Fisher Niemeyer are tied for 15th at 79 through 18 holes.
Three Forks, as expected, is running away with the girls team title at Eaglerock Golf Course in Billings.
The Wolves lead the field by 25 strokes after the first day with three golfers in the top 15, led by Shainy Mack in sixth with an 85.
Townsend’s Lynzee Dexter, the top returning placer from last year’s state tournament, leads the medalist race by three strokes, carding an 8-over-par round of 80.
Big Timber’s Tanna Campbell, undefeated this season, is in a tie for second with Thompson Falls’ Brooke Jacobs at 83.
Libby’s Lily Feeback is tied for 15th with a 98 in the first round.
Eureka’s Popla Swangsawai is two strokes back at 100 and the Lions’ Darian Truman shot a 112.
Play concludes today.
Class B State Golf Tournament
Tuesday
BOYS
At Pryor Creek Golf Club - Johnny Walker Course
Huntley
Yardage: 6,263; Par: 71
Team scores — Shelby 325, Bigfork 327, Colstrip 329, Manhattan 332, Huntley Project 337, Missoula Loyola 341, Big Timber 341, Conrad 342, Anaconda 345, Choteau 366, Red Lodge 385, Malta 409.
Top 15 Individuals — T1, Joseph Potkonjak, Bigfork, 68; T1, Ryggs Johnston, Libby, 68; 3, Caleb Stetzner, Anaconda, 69; 4, Caleb Bates, Thompson Falls, 70; 5, Joey Peter, Manhattan, 71; 6, Colton Hudson, Huntley Project, 72; 7, Danny Friez, Forsyth, 73; T8, Jaden Graveley, Townsend, 74; T8, Billy Miller, Big Timber, 74; 10, Peter Brown, Colstrip, 75; 11, Bridger Martin, Shelby, 77; T12, Bryce Mocabee, Huntley Project, 78; T12, Bucky Crippen, Missoula Loyola, 78; T12, Blake Finn, Big Timber, 78; T15, Lane Bradley, Colstrip, 79; T15, Jonny Cielak, Libby 79; T15, Fisher Niemeyer, Ronan, 79.
SHELBY (325) — Bridger Martin 77, TJ Reynolds 80, Brock Whitted 84, Aaron White 84, Jarod Anderson 92.
BIGFORK (327) — Joseph Potkonjak 68, Colton Stodghill 81, Jonathan Landon 88, Augie Emslie 90, Jacob Haberlock 95.
COLSTRIP (329) — Peter Brown 75, Lane Bradley 79, O’Shon OldMouse 84, Ty Bradley 91, Justin Cape 104.
MANHATTAN (332) — Joey Peter 71, Josh Neth 83, Steven Cantalupo 88, Nathan Van Dyke 90, Nathan McCormick DQ.
HUNTLEY PROJECT (337) — Colton Hudson 72, Bryce Mocabee 78, Daylon Richard 88; Chad Geck 103.
MISSOULA LOYOLA (341) — Bucky Crippen 78, Bryan Swanson 80, Thomas Sellman 89, Sean Kaleva 94, Sam Bryan 105.
BIG TIMBER (341) — Billy Miller 74, Blake Finn 78, Cliff Weller 90, Weston LaVoy 99, Carter Brownlee 100.
CONRAD (342) — Logan Garman 85, Kyle Vandenacre 85, Cale Ostrom 85, Trace Jochems 87, Reese Spears 94.
ANACONDA (345) — Caleb Stetzner 69, Ethan Peterson 85, Bryce Napier 91, Ricco Ungaretti 100, Dusty Gervais 101.
CHOTEAU (366) — Derrek Durocher 82, Trenton Durocher 88, Collin Achenbach 98, Jordan O’Dell 98, Steeler French 99.
RED LODGE (385) — Drew Meyer 89, Dawson Loewen 93, Tucker Kane 101, Hunter Boos 102, Gunnar Nelson 103.
MALTA (409) — Keenan VanWichen 89; Cru Darrah 100, Landon VanWichen 107, Grant O’Brien 113, Grayson Waters 118.
LIBBY (NS) — Ryggs Johnston 68, Jonny Cielak 79.
RONAN (NS) — Fisher Niemeyer 79.
THOMPSON FALLS (NS) — Caleb Bates 70, Dylan Beckman 85.
FORSYTH (NS) — Danny Friez 73.
TOWNSEND (NS) — Jaden Gravely 74, Scott Demars 81.
COLUMBUS (NS) — Ryland Stampfel 81.
FAIRFIELD (NS) — Paxson Swartz 83.
ROUNDUP (NS) — Jayce Griffith 88.
SHEPHERD (NS) — Chad Nebel 89.
BAKER (NS) — Brittan Schell 96.
ROCKY BOY (NS) — Chris Arkinson 97.
CUT BANK (NS) — Wyatt Harwood 112.
GIRLS
At Eaglerock Golf Course
Billings
Yardage: 5,114; Par: 72
Team scores — Three Forks 364, Shelby 389, Roundup 397, Thompson Falls 398, Ronan 409, Columbus 416, Missoula Loyola 423, Huntley Project 424, Conrad 425, Glasgow 449, Forsyth 479, Wolf Point 492.
Top 15 Individuals — 1, Lynzee Dexter, Townsend, 80; T2, Tanna Campbell, Big Timber, 83; T2, Brooke Jacobs, Thompson Falls, 83; T4, Tana House, Columbus, 84; T4, Skylar Martin, Shelby, 84; 6, Shainy Mack, Three Forks, 85; 7, Sydney Rockford, Three Forks, 86; 8, Elsie Brown, Thompson Falls, 87; 9, Madison Larson, Roundup, 89; T10, Michaela Larson, Roundup, 91; T10, Mariah Marquez, Three Forks, 91; 12, Kyleigh Salois, Conrad, 95; T13, Amy Nelson, Glasgow, 97; T13, Emma Cranford, Huntley Project, 97; T15, Lily Feeback, Libby, 98; T15, Abbey Aklestad, Shelby, 98; T15, Sarah Hoen, Shepherd, 98.
THREE FORKS (364) — Shainy Mack 85, Sydney Rockford 86, Mariah Marquez 91, Makayla Rowan 102, Taylor Jones 104.
SHELBY (389) — Skylar Martin 84, Abbey Aklestad 98, Maddy Hellinger 102, Hannon Stevens 105.
ROUNDUP (397) — Madison Larson 89, Michaela Larson 91, Kaitlin Angel 100, Bailey Mihalovich 117, Noreine Neumiller 120.
THOMPSON FALLS (398) — Brooke Jacobs 83, Elsie Brown 87, Jessica Bronner 105, Whitney Micklon 123, Julia Vanicek 136.
RONAN (409) — Tania Ulutoa 100, Brooklyn Olson 101, Kaitlyn Woirhaye 102, Lauryn Hales 106, Heather Pospishil 106.
COLUMBUS (416) — Tana House 84, Bailey Johannes 100, Olivia Hess 101, Karsen Marjerison 131.
MISSOULA LOYOLA (423) — Katy Fagg 100, Rosie McCormick 105, Emily Burt 108, Madison Purdy 110, Jordan Huffman 111.
HUNTLEY PROJECT (424) — Emma Cranford 97, Claudia Familiari 101, Andi Crane 110, Emily Ley 116, Ashton Albrecht 128.
CONRAD (425) — Kyleigh Salois 95, Megan Vandenacre 99, Jenae Johns 108, Keeley Burnes 123, Kari Nelson 130.
GLASGOW (449) — Amy Nelson 97, Lauren Runningen 110, Heidi Moon 120, Lexie Pehlke 122, Taylor Palm 139.
FORSYTH (479) — Katie Friez 101, Laura Hein 108, Reana Pederson 115, Hali Adams 155.
WOLF POINT (492) — Hailey Brunelle 103, Anamarie Long 116, Loverty Lindsay 129, Trinity Whitmus 144.
TOWNSEND (NS) — Lynzee Dexter 80.
BIG TIMBER (NS) — Tanna Campbell 83.
LIBBY (NS) — Lily Feeback 98.
SHEPHERD (NS) — Sarah Hoen 98.
BAKER (NS) — Megan Slagter 100.
CHOTEAU (NS) — Katie Bieler 100.
EUREKA (NS) — Popla Swangsawai 100, Darian Truman 112.
POPLAR (NS) — Mia Frederick 113.
CUT BANK (NS) — Jordan Whitford 119.