Eagles into heart of spring girls golf swing

Coach Mark Bauman used the friendly nine-hole dual against the Riverhawks to rest a few of his regular varsity players.

“Our score at The Dalles was not indicative of how we usually play,” said Bauman of the match at The Dalles Country Club. “We’ve been competing well every week in our league tournaments and the girls have been playing great. In our first tournament of the season [March 19], they lowered their score by over 20 strokes from the last time that they played at the same course last year. They bettered their score again by 13 in our last tournament there [April 9].”

The Eagles had six players competing in The Dalles: Kristin Fox, who placed second, Juliana Moore, Kaia Grasa, Josslyn Blue, Karely Bolanos and Tatum Willis. The Eagles were without their best player, senior Sierra Muenzer, who is a 2023 5A state qualifier; and their No. 3 player, sophomore Peyton Sherrell, also didn’t play at The Dalles.

The Eagles competed in a six-team Northwest Oregon Conference April 9 at Charbonneau Golf Club in Wilsonville, and they took fourth place with a score of 410. Muenzer led the Eagles quartet with a 94, followed by Fox (101), Sherrell (106), Moore (109). Grasa shot a non-counting team score of 133.

“We did great at Charbonneau with fourth place, but Sierra is struggling a little bit with a shoulder issue and that’s why she didn’t play at The Dalles,” said Bauman. “I think Sierra has a really good shot at reaching the state tournament again as an individual, and I think Kristin has the potential to qualify for state, as well. If we can get our act together in the next couple of weeks, I think our entire team also has a chance to qualify for the state tournament.”

Muenzer, who shot a personal best score of 87 in the March 19 opener, is hoping to advance to the state tournament a second straight year. The 5A tournament will be held at Trysting Tree Golf Club in Corvallis on May 13-14.

The Eagles were scheduled to play in a NWOC tournament on April 16 in Oregon City and they’ll compete in their next event on April 23 in the Hillsboro Invitational Tournament at Forest Hills Golf Course.