4A girls golf: Bellarmine Prep captures another state title

Another WIAA 4A Girls Golf State Tournament came and went at Club Green Meadows in Vancouver.

Another WIAA 4A Girls Golf State Tournament ended with the same school at the top Bellarmine Prep.

For a state-record fifth time in five years, the Bellarmine Prep girls ran away with the 4A girls golf team title with a final score of 181.5 points.

“Just elated,” said Bellarmine Prep head coach Mark Bender after final results were announced. “This one’s just been special. From top to bottom, even our freshman, they are like sisters. I tell them that we are a team and only a team. We come as a team, we leave as a team, we play as a team and we act as a team.”

Their team had got what they came for but they also left Club Green Meadows with the tournament’s individual champion: Alivia Brown.

Brown narrowly beat defending State Champion Sierra Kersten from Lewis & Clark by one stroke after a shooting a 72 on the final day, winning by final score of 148 to Kersten’s 149.

Last season Kersten won the championship in a one-hole playoff against Brown’s teammate Olivia Benzin and the margin was once again razor-close but Bellarmine ended up on top.

“Wonderful player, great golfer, couldn’t have happened to a better kid,” Bender said.

Brown — playing in her final high school tournament before heading to Washington State next season — came into the day trailing by three strokes.

“This is my last high school match so I was just here to kind of enjoy the experience and focus on my game,” she said.

Then she started making puts and then word got to her that Kersten had a triple-bogey on the 16th hole.

“That’s when I started to get a little nervous but I tried to keep it together as best as I could,” she said.

For the local contingent, Camas’ Elise Filuk didn’t fare as well on the second day as she finished with a 169 after an 89 on day 2 and did not place for a medal.

Other local golfers that made the cut yet didn’t place were Filuk’s teammate Connie Wang, Taylor Hartley and McKenzie of Battle Ground, Reilly Whitlock from Union and Ashley Pedigo from Skyview.

4A Girls Golf Results

Champion: Alivia Brown (Bellarmine Prep) 76-72–148

Sierra Kersten (Lewis & Clark) 73-76–149

Marianne Li (Newport) 76-75–151

Katie Lee (Central Kitsap) 75-77–152

Olivia Benzin (Bellarmine Prep) 78-75–153

Jamie Midkiff (Eastlake) 76-83–159

Ashley Fitzgibbons (Eastlake) 79-76–155

Stephanie Sewell (Kentridge) 78-78–156

Kelly Hooper (Gonzaga Prep) 77-79–156

Maddie Nelson (Eastlake) 78-79–157

Yuri Machida (Woodinville) 81-80–161

Abby Pfiefer (Emerald Ridge) 83-80–163

Lilly Navarre (Bellarmine Prep) 85-79–164

Tessa George (Bellarmine Prep) 83-85–168

Linsey Gullikson (Bellarmine Prep) 82-86–168

Hanna Yi (Thomas Jefferson) 81-87–168

Jaylene Martinez (Pasco) 82-87–169

Elise Filuk (Camas) 80-89–169

Abby Collier (Redmond) 83-88–171

Neydeen Martinez (Pasco) 80-91–171

Lydia Kim (Mead) 82-89–171

Katherine Choi (Kamiak) 85-86–171

Taylor Hartley (Battle Ground) 87-85–172

McKenzie Alamillo (Battle Ground) 83-90–173

Lisa Zelasko (Bellarmine Prep): 88-87–175

Katelann Soth (Kentwood) 90-85–175

Renee Kwak (Kamiak) 87-89–176

Tianna Ford (Yelm): 90-86–176

Cassie Helgeson (Redmond) 90-86–176

Meg McMullen (Kentridge) 88-89–177

Stephanie Cogswell (Kentwood) 88-89–177

Connie Wang (Camas) 88-89–177

Emily Herbster (Mead) 90-88–178

Reilly Whitlock (Union) 90-90–180

Cedar Bowman (Tahoma) 88-93-181

Kea Robertson (Richland): 90-92–182

Hannah Lee (Kamiak): 90-92–182

Olivia Kim (Kamiak): 90-94–184

Ashley Pedigo (Skyview): 90-98–188

Ries t’Sas (Gig Harbor) 91-103–194

Team Results

1, Bellarmine Prep 181.5

2, Eastlake 98

3, Pasco 44

4, Kentridge 43.5