Twelve Malta Golfers go to state; two teams, three individuals

Malta's golf team went out to Marias Valley Golf Course in Shelby on Monday for the district tournament and three athletes placed in the top 15, punching their tickets to state tourney in Butte, which starts Monday at Fairmont Springs.

Both the boys and girls teams also made it to the dance.

"The boys team earned 4th place after a mistake in totals was pointed out to the scoring committee, " said Malta golf coach Lynne Nevrivy. "After a Choteau boys score was recalculated Malta boys moved ahead of Choteau by one stroke to take 4th place."

The boys had a total score of 373. The girls had a score of 547, which gave them third place.

The boys team consists of Garrett Zanto, Keenan VanWichen, Jase Galt, Eli Water, Tyler Ost and Cru Darrah as an alternate.

The girls team consists of Tyanna Dunbar, Kristi Granlund, Cyra Mears, Taryn Shores, Kelsey Kuehn and Serena Stine as an alternate.

The only individual girl going to state is senior Tyanna Dunbar, who shot 117 and took twelfth of fifteen.

Jase Galt placed 12th in the boys totals, with a score of 88, while Keenan Vanwichen placed fifteenth, with a score of 90, taking the last spot.

The Malta Boy's Golf Team fared well at the Malta Athletic Club Invitational Golf Meet last Wednesday, at the Marian Hills Golf Course.

The team was led by senior Garret Zanto, who scored 79 at the meet. Zanto was followed by Bryan Ordahl of Plentywood, who scored 81. Luke Gunderson of Glasgow was next with 82.

Malta was second as a team, with a score of 372. Harlem won by three strokes, with a score of 369. Plentywood was third with a score of 415.

Malta's Eli Waters and Keenan VanWichen also cracked the top ten, with Waters scoring 93 and VanWichen scoring 99.

In girls action, Whitewater's Kayla Howard won the meet with a score of 93. Sister Kaycee Howard had a score of 115, which gave her a seventh place finish.

Kristi Granlund of Malta led the M-ettes with a score of 112, she placed sixth.

Malta placed second of two teams with a score of 488, to Plentywood's 470.

In an earlier meet, the Harlem Invitational, it was cold, rainy and miserable, however both team's did well considering.

"The kids stuck it out and did well for the conditions," said coach Nevrivy.

Keenan VanWichen led the Malta boys with a score of 92. Two other athletes had a score of 92, but after winning a chip off against Harlem's Denton Cornell and his teammate Garret Zanto, VanWichen placed eighth, while Cornell finished ninth and Zanto placed tenth.

Malta placed third at that meet as a four man team with a score of 384, twenty strokes behind Harlem's 364. Chinook won the meet with a score of 347.

The girl's team was the only team at the meet and they scored 531.

The team was led by Kristi Granlund who scored 124 and placed sixth. Teammate Tyanna Dunbar placed eighth after losing a chip off to Harlem's CJ Werk.

Cyra Mears also placed in the top ten, after placing ninth at the meet, with a score of 128.

"We were missing some kids due to state music," said Coach Nevrivy.