The Glacier High School golf program skipped the baby steps and just took off running. Three years ago, in the school’s first year, the Wolfpack boys tied Billings West for the Class AA title to become Glacier’s first state champion. The girls finished sixth. Since then, both teams have remained in the upper crust of the state’s elite golf programs.
In a testament to the depth on the boys squad, the Wolfpack lost two-time defending state champion Larry Iverson III and have barely missed a beat. Senior Grahm Schmaltz gives Glacier yet another legitimate state title contender. As a team, the boys might even be deeper this year than last year’s state runner-up and the 2007 state champion, coach Rob Logsdon said.
Heading into the state tournament in Billings on Oct. 12-13, Billings West is the favorite to win. West is the three-time defending state champion, including the 2007 tie with Glacier. Throughout the fall, West has dominated tournaments, led by five talented golfers who can each take over a tournament on any given day. Jake Hedge, who finished third at state last year and fourth the year before, leads that group along with Brandon McIver.
“They’ve earned the right to be called the top dog,” Logsdon said, adding that he believes his boys have a solid chance to win if they relax and play their game.
For the top individual honors, Hedge and McIver will have to compete with Schmaltz and Missoula Hellgate’s Colin Gunstream. Each of those four has done his part to be called the state’s best golfer at different times this year. The final bragging rights will be decided in Billings.
If Schmaltz wins, it would give Glacier three-straight individual boys state champions. He placed ninth two years ago and tied for 10th last fall.
“It’s going to be a battle,” Schmaltz, who shot a 63 earlier this year, said.
Trey Griffith and Justin Newton also have state experience for the boys, while freshman Logan Iverson – Larry’s little brother – has been performing well. Logsdon said the young Iverson has “been a bit of a surprise.” Kendrick Lee and Ryan Porch round out the six golfers who will go to state. In total, 34 boys came out for the team this year.
The Wolfpack girls have steadily improved in their first three years as a program. They finished sixth in 2007, fifth last year and have performed well at several tournaments this year. Now senior Karli Aurich, who has finished fifth and sixth, respectively, over the last two years, believes her team is deep and talented enough to win a trophy at state.
“We want to bring home some hardware this year,” Aurich said. “We want to have a girls and boys state champion for the first time at the school.”
Though the girls don’t have the numbers the boys have – 11 came out for the team – they still have depth, Logsdon said. Seven different girls have played varsity this year and Logsdon said the eighth through 10th golfers on the depth chart weren’t far behind. At state, Aurich will be accompanied by Elsie Satterfield, Andrea Spicher, Shea Stevens, Shelbi Long and Shelby Ballard.
“If they play to what we think they’re capable of, we think they have an outside shot (at the state title),” Logsdon said.
Logsdon said Glacier’s golf program was able to immediately become one of the state’s elite because of a mixture of luck, community support and lots of hard work on the part of the kids. When Kalispell became a two-school city in 2007, Logsdon said he was fortunate to get several classes of talented golfers. And community support, he said, has been phenomenal, especially the efforts of Alice Ritzman, who helps coach youth golf, and Big Mountain Golf Club’s director of operations Tom Clary.
In general, Logsdon said, Big Mountain Golf Club has been ideal for his kids.
“As far as we’re concerned, we have the best practice and playing facility in the state,” Logsdon said. “They’ve been great to us.”
With a little fortune and a lot of community support on their side, Glacier’s golfers work hard to maintain their winning tradition, Logsdon said.
“They want to be the showpiece of the school,” Logsdon said.