White River’s Gelinas edges Tumwater’s McCauley for 2A golf crown, Hornets take team title
Brooke Gelinas set the pace at the state 2A girls golf championship at Tumwater Valley Golf Course.
Tuesday, the White River High School senior recorded the tournament’s low round of 69 and held onto a one-stroke lead over Tumwater’s Lily McCauley at the turn of Wednesday’s second and final round when she ran into a couple of challenges.
She bogeyed the 10th, 11th and 12th holes, cracking the door open for a Washington State-bound senior in McCauley, who was playing on her school’s home course.
“My course management was really good today,” Gelinas, who will play at Utah Tech, formerly Dixie State University, next season said. “After the bogeys, I was able to bounce back. I talked to my coach Anna (Rose). She got my head back in it. I focused on the positive instead of the negative.”
She righted the ship and finished with a two-day total of 141, edging McCauley by that same one stroke. Both shot 72 on Wednesday.
“I’ve been playing against Lily since we were little in junior golf,” Gelinas said. “I knew she was going to play well, so it was about me doing the best I could.”
Gelinas’ performance, along with high finishes by two other Hornets, senior Brooke Mahler, third at 146, and freshman Lexie Mahler, fifth at 152, gave White River all it needed to win the team championship by a wide margin, 147.5-71, over runner-up Pullman.
“It’s amazing,” Gelinas said of the team title. “I’ve played since I was a freshman and I’ve been a captain the past two years, so I’m really happy I get to celebrate with my teammates.”
Rose, the Hornets’ sixth-year coach, wasn’t surprised her team, which also included Alle Klemkow and Sophie Ross, did well.
“I knew we had a pretty good shot,” she said. “Lexie really shined this week, she had her best round (Tuesday) and followed it up with an even better round (Wednesday). The two Brookes are always solid.
“All the girls put in so much time and effort. People don’t always realize how much they’re playing, all the tournaments they’re going to, plus their studies.”
McCauley, who has won a Washington state junior championship outside of high school golf, had an even-handed reaction to her second place finish.
“I drove the ball really well this week. I hit a lot of greens,” she said. “Not a whole lot of birdies dropped for me, but that happens. We had a lot of fun, it was a good time.”
Tumwater coach Andrew Beagle saw what he usually does as he walked the course with McCauley on Wednesday.
“She had her classic consistency,” he said. “That’s her game, an even keel to her body language, her mentality and her approach. That’s why she’s been so successful.”
McCauley did think she had a slight home course advantage.
“Certain lines off the tee I could see a lot better, some pin placements that might be tricky” she said.
Beagle thought McCauley would have finished high in the standings no matter where state was played.
“Obviously there’s a comfort level. You’re sleeping in your own bed. You know the course,” he said, praising greenskeepers for having Tumwater Valley set up in excellent condition for the event. “But our district tournament was at Mint Valley (in Longview). She’d never played it in her life.
“She’s the type of golfer who can see what’s in front of her, evaluate it and play amazing golf.”
McCauley won the District 4 title.
A member of Tumwater’s perennial state participant girls basketball team throughout her high school years, McCauley prioritizes golf. This week is typical. Fresh off state, she leaves Saturday for an American Junior Golf Association tournament in Henderson, Nevada.
Fife’s Kylie Nguyen was the only other South Sound player to finish high in the standings, placing sixth at 152.
Despite the area hosting four of the state championship classifications – 4A girls and boys, 2A girls and boys – Thurston County schools realized no obvious home course advantage. The highest local team finish was Tumwater’s boys in ninth in 2A at Capital City Golf Course.
Olympia’s Sanjana Chalasani, fifth in 4A girls at Hawks Prairie Golf Course, was the only other individual contender beyond McCauley.
Pierce County schools fared better with Bellarmine Prep’s boys in 4A joining White River’s girls as team champions. Zach Miller of White River’s boys tied for the individual 2A championship.