The Tillamook High Cheesemakers played their final regular season golf tournament in the five-team Cowapa League District championship on April 29, at Astoria Golf & Country Club. The Cheesemakers, guided by seventh-year Coach Johnny Begin, played well, particularly the girls’ squad in taking third place, while the boys team took fifth place.
“We didn’t quite achieve what we wanted to, but we had a couple of girls who were in the top-10 and Seth Wehinger got a top-10 boys finish and he earned a First Team All-League Award,” said Begin. “Our boys’ team had somewhat of tough time with our top-two players shooting in the 90’s and they kind of struggled. I was really proud of both teams.”
Led by senior senior Kelsey Leonning, who shot a career best score of 100, the Mooks girls took third place at 427, just seven strokes behind the runnerup St. Helens High Lions with 420. The Scappoose High Indians won the Cowapa League title with a score of 413. The Seaside High Seagulls were fourth (439), followed by the Astoria High Fishermen (440). Leonnig finished tied for third individually out of a total of 23 golfers.
“I thought the girls had a chance to win the league title, but we ended up taking third,” said Begin. “We’ve had four players finish in the top-10 at every tournament this year. But my No. 1 player, senior Lexie Graves really struggled and so we didn’t really have our best performance as a team. Kelsey and junior Stella Hurliman both earned Cowapa First Team All-League Awards and they both received top-10 medals. We had two players in the top-10, but the other two just didn’t bring their “A” game and that’s what happens sometimes in golf.”
Hurliman took seventh place with a score of 101. She was followed Graves (112), who took 14th place, and senior Malli Lewis (114), who rounded out the Mooks top-four players. Junior Kennedy Moncrief shot a noncounting score of 120 for Tillamook. Scappoose senior Julia Smith earned first-place with a score of 92.
“It was a close race for the girls and nobody really blew another team out and the best score was a 92, so we were not too far behind,” said Begin. “We just didn’t put it all together like we needed to all at the same time.”
The Mooks boys were led by senior Wehinger, who shot a personal best score of 90 to take 10th place individually out of 25 golfers. Tillamook senior Tanner Hoskins shot a 94 for 14th place individually, followed by teammate Triton Faber (96) and junior Diego Barragan Lara (110), to round out the Mooks quartet of players. Freshman Carson Remington shot a noncounting score of 116 for Tillamook.
Triton has been shooting scores in the 80’s all season and then today he shot a 96,” said Begin. “Same thing for Tanner, who had been shooting in the upper 80’s and low 90’s and then he shot a 95. Both those guys shot nine strokes higher than where they usually are, so it was just kind of an off day.
Seaside junior Logan Norman earned medalist honors with his first-place score of 77, to help lead the Seagulls to the Cowapa League championship with a score of 323. Scappoose took second (340), followed by Astoria (377), St. Helens (386) and Tillamook (390).
“Seth has been working hard all year in practice and he shot a career best score,” said Begin. “I thought that we should’ve finished close to Astoria for third, which is where we should’ve been if our guys shot their normal average scores. I only had one kid who performed really well though and everyone else kind of struggled through the round and we just didn’t to very good in team scoring.”
The Mooks competed Monday and Tuesday in the Class 4A/3A/2A/1A 32-team regional tourney at Quail Valley Golf Course in Banks. The top-five individual players will advance to the state tournament May 13-14. The top-three boys’ squads in teams scoring qualify for state and the top-four girls’ teams also advance to the state tourney. The boys’ tourney is at Emerald Valley Gold Course in Creswell. The girls’ tournament is at Tokatee Golf Club in McKenzie.
“It’s really tough to qualify for state and last year Elliot Lee (2023 Tillamook graduate) was our only player who made it,” said Begin. “We would have to shoot in the upper 70’s to qualify for state. With all the private schools that we’re competing with it’s not easy to make it. It wouldn’t surprise me if all the 3A private schools made it, like Valley Catholic, Riverdale and Oregon Episcopal made it to state. It’s nice that the girls get four teams that qualify.”
If any Tillamook boys or girls’ golfers qualify for state, it would mark their first ever appearance at the event.
“We’re just hoping to have a good time at the regional with our young group,” said Begin. “We have three juniors and a freshman on the girls’ squad, so they’ll get some good experience and they’ll know what to expect for next year.”
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