Par for the course

With two meets under their belts several Ennis High School varsity golfers have landed spots in the upcoming state tournament to be held in Bozeman on May 17-19.

Twenty Mustangs comprise this year’s Ennis golf team, with varsity players Ian Swanson, Nicholas Johnson, Jarrett Jenkins, Andrew Beardsley, Kaleb Rice, Landri Paladichuk and Taylor Barney rounding out the bunch.

So far this season the golfers have had just two meets. Their first was on a rainy morning at Cottonwood Hills on April 27 in Bozeman; their second took place in Three Forks on April 29 in perfect golf conditions: sunny skies, temps in the 70s and a few resulting sunburns.

Three competitors have qualified for the state tournament – Swanson, Johnson and Paladichuk. For the boys a par of under 100 will get you to state. Johnson had a 96 in Three Forks, Swanson had a 96 at Cottonwood. Johnson placed 13th in Bozeman and Swanson nabbed the 14th spot there.

For girls, anything under 120 qualifies for state, and Paladichuk crushed that qualification with a 90 and a 93. She placed third in Three Forks and fifth in Bozeman.

Weather always plays a part in spring sports – Head Coach Jordan Overstreet said it’s been a bit crazy this season with several cancellations resulting in less meets than he’d like to have by now. Even practices at Madison Meadows have been hit or miss depending on the day, but he’s hopeful things on the weather front are looking up.

With no golf competitions offered last year due to the pandemic, Coach Overstreet said his team is thrilled to be back on the course. “That’s been the best part of this season, the kids’ attitudes,” he said. “They’re excited when they come to practice, and they’re excited to be around each other, so it’s made coaching golf this year enjoyable and a lot of fun.”

The Mustang golfers have their third meet of the season on Friday, May 7 in Livingston and they’ll compete in the Class C tournament being held at Madison Meadows on May 10 starting at 10 a.m.