FAIRMONT HOT SPRINGS -- Ella Prigge and Kodie Hoagland look to make the most of Butte High hosting the Western AA divisional golf invitational.
Prigge and Hoagland tied for the Day 1 lead at Fairmont Hot Springs on Thursday, shooting identical 84s to lead Kalispell Flathead standout Marcella Mercer (86) by two strokes entering Friday's final 18.
Rain and wind made conditions more challenging than usual on Thursday, adding a chill to the air, according to Butte head coach Eric Mankins. His Bulldogs own a 24-stroke lead in the girls team standings, with Prigge and Hoagland set up for a shot at the divisional medalist crown on Friday.
Kalispell Glacier's boys own a two-stroke lead over Missoula Sentinel in the boys race, where Kalispell Flathead's Ezra Epperly holds a one-stroke lead over Sentinel's Kade McDonough. Epperly managed a 73 Thursday, while a trio of Glacier Wolfpack athletes sit in the top six.
Tyler Avery is tied for third with a 76, matching Helena Capital's Caswell Bloomquist. Glacier's Keaton Cassidy and Coby Kunda carded 77s to lead the Wolfpack into Friday's final round.
Teams are expected to tee off around 10:30 a.m. on Friday to conclude the 36-hole tournament.
The top four teams will qualify for next week's Class AA state golf invitational in Missoula, while the top 10 individual finishers outside those qualifying teams will also advance to state, which begins Oct. 1 at Larchmont Golf Course.
Results from the first day of the Western AA divisional can be found below. For scores from the Eastern AA divisional in Billings, please click here.
Western AA divisional golf
Round 1 results
Boys team scores
| Total | Place | |
| Kalispell Glacier | 314 | 1 |
| Missoula Sentinel | 316 | 2 |
| Helena Capital | 329 | 3 |
| Kalispell Flathead | 341 | 4 |
| Missoula Hellgate | 351 | |
| Missoula Big Sky | 358 | |
| Helena High | 359 | |
| Butte High | NA |
Boys individual scores
| Player | Score | ||
| Kalispell Flathead | #1 | Ezra Epperly | 73 |
| Missoula Sentinel | #1 | Kade McDonough | 74 |
| Helena Capital | #1 | Caswell Bloomquist | 76 |
| Kalispell Glacier | #1 | Tyler Avery | 76 |
| Kalispell Glacier | #3 | Keaton Cassidy | 77 |
| Kalispell Glacier | #5 | Coby Kunda | 77 |
| Missoula Sentinel | #3 | Jaden Dennis | 78 |
| Missoula Big Sky | #3 | Carson Suchecki | 80 |
| Missoula Sentinel | #2 | Joe Opitz | 80 |
| Missoula Big Sky | #1 | Hayden Ellis | 81 |
| Helena High | #2 | Austin Zeiler | 81 |
| Helena High | #1 | Logan Meyer | 83 |
| Missoula Sentinel | #4 | Clay Godwin | 84 |
| Helena Capital | #2 | Cale Hinse | 84 |
| Helena Capital | #3 | Dutch Teders | 84 |
| Kalispell Glacier | #2 | Will Salonen | 84 |
| Kalispell Glacier | #4 | Sam Manaker | 84 |
| Helena Capital | #4 | Brett Stoos | 85 |
| Missoula Hellgate | #4 | Josh Beck | 86 |
| Butte High | #1 | Brady Anderson | 87 |
| Missoula Hellgate | #2 | Trey Mattson | 87 |
| Kalispell Flathead | #2 | Josten Cripe | 88 |
| Missoula Hellgate | #1 | Willis Philliber | 89 |
| Missoula Hellgate | #3 | Aiden Gappert | 89 |
| Kalispell Flathead | #4 | Kadin Gall | 89 |
| Missoula Sentinel | #5 | Zach Hangas | 91 |
| Helena Capital | #5 | Dylan Dobbins | 91 |
| Kalispell Flathead | #3 | Drew Lowry | 91 |
| Kalispell Flathead | #5 | Korbin Hawley | 93 |
| Butte High | #2 | Joseph Lyons | 95 |
| Helena High | #3 | Myles Jacobs | 95 |
| Missoula Big Sky | #2 | Caden Bateman | 96 |
| Helena High | #4 | Byren Stoner | 100 |
| Butte High | #3 | Jacob Sawyer | 101 |
| Missoula Big Sky | #4 | Alex Clark | 101 |
| Missoula Hellgate | #5 | Henry Black | 103 |
| Missoula Big Sky | #5 | Jake Paugh | 116 |
| Helena High | #5 | Hunter Pandis | 134 |
Girls team scores
| Total | Place | |
| Butte High | 370 | 1 |
| Helena Capital | 394 | 2 |
| Kalispell Glacier | 404 | 3 |
| Kalispell Flathead | 411 | 4 |
| Missoula Sentinel | 462 | |
| Missoula Big Sky | NA | |
| Missoula Hellgate | NA | |
| Helena High | NA |
Girls individual scores
| Player | Score | ||
| Butte High | #1 | Ella Prigge | 84 |
| Butte High | #2 | Kodie Hoagland | 84 |
| Kalispell Flathead | #1 | Marcella Mercer | 86 |
| Kalispell Glacier | #1 | Alana Griffin | 91 |
| Kalispell Flathead | #2 | Jillian Wynne | 91 |
| Helena High | #1 | Lauren Williams | 92 |
| Helena Capital | #3 | Megan Swanson | 95 |
| Helena High | #2 | Celi Chapman | 98 |
| Helena Capital | #4 | Paige O'Mara | 98 |
| Kalispell Glacier | #2 | Chloe Tanner | 99 |
| Helena Capital | #1 | Lexi McNew | 100 |
| Butte High | #3 | Kennedy Lean | 101 |
| Butte High | #4 | Mackenzie Finnegan | 101 |
| Helena Capital | #5 | Makayla Bury | 101 |
| Helena Capital | #2 | Zita Gravely | 103 |
| Kalispell Glacier | #3 | Stella Claridge | 103 |
| Butte High | #5 | Megan Savage | 105 |
| Missoula Sentinel | #1 | Sofie Fero | 108 |
| Missoula Hellgate | #2 | Anna Stensrud | 108 |
| Kalispell Flathead | #3 | McKinlie Murer | 109 |
| Kalispell Glacier | #4 | Kenna Sandler | 111 |
| Missoula Sentinel | #2 | Landrie Anderson | 113 |
| Missoula Sentinel | #3 | Alta Murray | 119 |
| Missoula Hellgate | #1 | Bella Cory | 120 |
| Missoula Sentinel | #4 | Averie South | 122 |
| Missoula Big Sky | #2 | Madeline Heaney | 125 |
| Kalispell Glacier | #5 | Colette Daniels | 125 |
| Kalispell Flathead | #4 | Sophia Dykhuizen | 125 |
| Kalispell Flathead | #5 | Marijayne Reed | 131 |
| Missoula Big Sky | #1 | Ashlee Owens | 141 |
