Bellarmine Prep wins 4A boys golf state title, the school’s 12th, behind freshman standout
There’s another Bordeaux in town at Bellarmine Prep and to the surprise of no one who follows high school golf in the South Sound, he’s pretty good. J.J. Bordeaux, a freshman at Bellarmine, took second place overall in the Class 4A state golf tournament at Indian Summer Country Club in Olympia, shooting 142 (71, 71) in the two-day tournament, which concluded Wednesday.
J.J. is the last in a long line of the golf-loving Bordeaux extended family to come through Bellarmine. He’s the younger brother of Collin and Brodie Bordeaux. His cousin, Julia Bordeaux, was the most recent to come through Bellarmine. She won the 4A state girls title in 2019 and now golfs for Notre Dame.
His performance led Bellarmine to another team state championship, the school’s 12th all-time and the 10th for longtime coach Steve George.
“Just my teammates and the support is so much fun,” Bordeaux said. “It was super fun. I’m bummed I didn’t take first, but second is a big accomplishment.”
Redmond’s Akshay Anand shot a second-round 68 to claim the state title, carding a tournament-low 141 two-day total. Bellarmine’s Max Burns finished in fourth, shooting a 143 (70, 73) and Owen Price also notched a top-10 placement, firing a 151 (75, 76).
“Max has always been a solid player for us and I could just see it in his eyes today,” George said. “He’s ready for this, wanted it. He played super consistent. Owen has just been a rock for us all year. He won the district and league title. I think he’d tell you that he didn’t play well in this tournament, by his standards. But you can always count on him.”
While golf largely remained untouched during the pandemic in private settings due to its outdoor, spread-out nature, there’s a level of pride and camaraderie that comes with suiting up for one’s school and competing for a team goal. That was missing the last two years, and its return was welcome.
“These boys have waited a long time for this,” George said. “It’s great. I can’t even put it into words. It was something they’ve been just aching for for two years. They lost that opportunity. At least for these seniors, this was their last chance.”
Ultimately, golf is an individual sport, but Bellarmine’s golfers enjoyed celebrating each other’s success and hoisting the team trophy together after Wednesday’s round.
“We try to emphasize that it’s ‘us,’ it’s not one person,” George said. “We talked, if someone has a bad tournament, there’s someone to pick them up. We talked last night at dinner that we’re the best team, one through six. We just rely on that.”
Bordeaux will have three more cracks at winning an individual state title. He said he enjoyed the first effort.
“It was just so much fun to be with the team, have the team aspect,” he said.
Bellarmine’s Conner Conley finished 19th (75, 81), Karsten Miller 37th (81, 81) and Cole Wicklander 45th (77, 86).
CHARLES WRIGHT’S WALKER SMOKES THE COMPETITION
What a tournament for Charles Wright’s Emersyn Walker, who shot a two-day 143 (76, 68) at Indian Canyon Golf Course in Spokane to win the Class 1A girls state title. Teammate Emily took fourth (88. 84). Life Christian’s Madison Hull tied for third (90, 81).
In the 4A boys tournament, Sumner finished third in the team standings, buoyed by Brock Maulding’s fifth-place finish (73, 73) and Tyson Arthur’s eighth-place finish (73, 75).
In 4A girls, Olympia’s Sanjana Chalasani finished in a four-way tie for fifth place (73, 75) at Hawks Prairie Golf Course in Lacey. Bellarmine Prep took fourth place in the team standings; Payton Anderson and Charlene Kimi-Auhn finished in a four-way tie for 17th, both shooting two-day totals of 161. In 3A girls, Stadium’s Una Johnson notched a top-10 finish, tying for 10th (73, 74) and Meadowwood Golf Course in Liberty Lake.
In 2A boys, White River’s Zach Miller won the state championship on the first playoff hole, shooting 142 (71, 71) in the two-day tournament at the Capitol City Golf Club in Olympia. Teammate Kaden Ausen took seventh (75, 71) as White River finished third in the team standings. Tumwater’s Reagan Broome recorded a top-10 finish, tying for ninth (74, 75).
In 2A girls, White River won the team title with ease at the Tumwater Valley Golf Club. Three of the school’s golfers finished in the top five, led by Brooke Gelinas, who won the state title, shooting a two-day 141 (69. 72). Teammate Brooke Mahler took third (73, 73) and Lexie Mahler took fifth (78, 74). Tumwater’s Lily McCauley took second (70, 72) and Fife’s Kylie Nguyen tied for sixth (80, 74).
In the 1A boys tournament at the Indian Canyon Golf Course in Spokane, Cascade Christian (Puyallup) golfer Jacob Janho tied for first before losing in a playoff to Bear Creek’s Ryder Odem. Janho carded a two-day 140 (70, 70). Annie Wright’s Wilson Dicks tied for fifth (78, 73) and Cascade Christian’s Ryden Premo placed 10th (79, 79).
This story was originally published May 25, 2022 at 6:00 PM.
