Howard twins lead Whitewater to team victory, Malta 2nd

Whitewater hosted the Whitewater Invitational Golf Meet at Marion Hills Golf Course, Tuesday, April 15.

In only his second golf meet of the season, Sophomore Keenan VanWichen placed second at the meet with a score of 87. The team was second to Chinook in the meet, who scored 264, while Malta scored 278 and Glasgow 279.

"I was golfing pretty good, other than the few out of bounds I had," VanWichen told the PCN.

VanWichen's golf game is strong, however he explained there are areas in his game that he needs to improve.

Other than keeping the ball in the field of play "I need to work on my six to eight foot puts," he said. "That will bring my scores down a bit."

His goal score.

"If I can get in the 80's I'm happy," he said.

He also hopes to score even lower than 80 as the season progresses.

VanWichen may have a chance, due to the fact that Marian Hills and Marias Valley (Shelby) golf courses are on the team's schedule this year. He told the PCN those are courses he has been to the most in his young golfing career.

Senior Garret Zanto and sophomore newcomer Jase Galt both also made the top ten. Zanto had 92 strokes, which was good enough for sixth. Galt shot a 99 giving him tenth.

Whitewater's Layne Engel was caught in a three-way tie with Chinook's Zack Molyneaux and Glasgow's Wyatt Holzworth. The trio had 97 a piece. Engel was penciled in at ninth on the list.

Other scores included Tyler Ost who scored 103, Eli Waters 102, Collin Holman 105, Hunter 106, Cru Darrah 111, Chase Murray 124,Grant O'Brien 147, Quintan Boos 123 and Palmer Giblette 120.

GIRLS

Whitewater's girl team won the meet with a total of 354, while Malta finished second with a score of 370.

Whitewater golfers Kayla and Kaycee Howard are athletes. The twin sisters key players on Malta's varsity volleyball team and Saco-Whitewater's varsity basketball team this year.

It turns out they have finesse in the game of golf as well.

Kayla led all golfers with 105 strokes

"It (my score) was really good," Kayla said. "I'm really trying to get under 100 but I'll take 105 any day.

She told the PCN that typically her scores are in the 113-110 range depending on the day. Her best day in golf to date was in a meet where she shot a 103.

How is she going to get her scores down to under 100?

"I gotta work on getting one over par on every hole," Kayla said.

Her sister Kaycee placed second in the meet with 113 strokes.

"My second nine was better than my first nine," Kaycee said. "I was really going for under 110, but the last two holes got me."

Kaycee admitted in those last two holes she was playing it too safe and didn't hit the ball far enough.

Like her sister, Kaycee also aspires to get her scores under 100 and believes that in order to get there, she needs to improve her putting.

"Golf is a very mental game," Kaycee said, admitting that many of her mistakes are mental.

Sibling rivalry is a common thing, being twins one can only imagine what the Howard's competitiveness is like.

"We kind of like to be competitive and see who can get the better score," Kaycee said. "I think it helps us."

The sisters travel to Malta together at least two days a week to practice at Marian hills Golf Course and on other days they practice at the driving range in Whitewater.

Penguin teammate Tatum Moore placed sixth at the meet with a score of 136.

Malta's Kristie Granlund scored 136, which was good enough for seventh.

Other Malta golfers included Tyanna Dunbar, who shot a 105, but did not qualify. Kelsey Kuehn shot a 129, which would have put her in sixth, however she did not qualify as well. Taryn Shores shot 171, Serena Stine 139 and Cyra Mears 130.