Before the horn sounded and play was suspended, Sierra Kersten of Spokane’s Lewis & Clark High School was already in the clubhouse with the best score of the day.
With a score of 73, two strokes ahead of the rest of the field, Kersten is halfway to repeating as the Class 4A girls golf state champion at Club Green Meadows Golf Course.
The defending champion had the benefit of being in the first group to tee-off, and she was pleased with her round and that the weather had cooperated.
“It was okay,” Kersten said. “I played well and I had some bad holes. I was sinking puts and having fun. It didn’t rain, so that was good.”
Kersten had to play the waiting game back by the clubhouse as she waited for the rest of the scores to pour in.
Then, a few hours after she had finished her round, play was was briefly suspended following thunderstorms in the area.
After play resumed, the conditions didn’t improve very much with the rain and wind still in effect.
Closely behind Kersten is Central Kitsap’s Katie Lee who shot a 75 and three golfers — Alivia Brown of Bellarmine Prep, Newport’s Marianne Lee and Eastlake’s Jamie Midkiff — scored a 76.
Bellarmine Prep has its sights set on a fifth straight 4A girls team championship with all six of its golfers making the cut.
However, Eastlake of Sammamish is the most represented high school at the top of the leaderboard with three golfers in the top-ten.
Camas’ Elise Filuk was the leading local performer, finishing with a first round score of 80 after scoring pars in the last four holes to end the day.
“I played a solid round today. Nothing too great for me, but nothing too bad,” she said. “I’m excited to play tomorrow and beat my score today.”
Filuk — tied for 11th with a score of 80 — wants to improve on her finish from last season when she made the cut but failed to place for a medal.
Other local golfers that will be joining her in Thursday’s round two include her teammate Connie Wang, McKenzie Alamillo of Battle Ground, Reilly Whitlock of Union and Ashley Pedigo of Skyview.
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