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T-Birds win District IV golf crown

HIGH SCHOOLS: Jackson Boe’s victory in sudden-death playoff hands Tumwater the title

The Olympian | • Published October 21, 2009

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LACEY – The winner of the Class 2A District IV boys golf team title came down to a two-hole sudden death playoff.

And after Tumwater’s Jackson Boe two-putted on the second playoff hole, not only did he clinch the final state playoff spot for himself, his finish on Tuesday at Capitol City Golf Club also helped the Thunderbirds win their first district team title.

Tumwater finished with a team score of 159, topping Chehalis, which came in second at 113. River Ridge and Elma tied for eighth with 29 points.

“It’s a great experience,” Tumwater’s Seth Nickerson said. “Not only now did we win league, but also district, and we’re going to try and use this as a stepping stone toward state. We proved we can play great as a team.”

The Thunderbirds will send five golfers – Nickerson, Kyle Schrader, Jimmy Jensen, Zach Monroe, and Boe – to the Class 2A state golf tournament next spring. The top 21 placers from Tuesday’s final round advance to the state tournament.

Nickerson shot a 76 during the final round and finished tied for second place with Chehalis freshman Brady Calkins with a two-day total of 151. Schrader and Jensen finished tied for fourth with a 153, and Monroe was 19th at 162.

Hoquiam’s Nolan Sand ran away with the individual title with a two-day total of 136 – 8 under par – including shooting a sizzling 65 on Tuesday. Chehalis’ Cody Plazgenza (159) and Austin Hamilton (160) also qualified for state. No other South Sound golfers made the state cut. River Ridge’s Kris Deasis (167) is a second alternate.

The district title was sweet revenge for the T-Birds, who lost to Chehalis in a dual match earlier this season.

Never before has Tumwater sent five golfers to state, coach Scott Killough said.

“Usually, we send one or two,” Killough said. “Last year, we had four.”

For Boe, his first trip to the state tournament couldn’t have come in a more thrilling fashion. He shot an 83 on Tuesday and went into the sudden-death playoff with Aberdeen’s Zach Smith. After each golfer tied on the first playoff hole, Boe split the fairway on the second hole with his tee ball, then put his second shot just right of the green.

He eventually two-putted the hole for bogey, but still clinched the 21st and final spot to state.

“I was walking with my assistant coach and I told him, ‘My heart is pounding so fast, I can’t imagine what Jackson is feeling,” Killough said.

Said Nickerson: “We all played great first day, and all made the cut. For us to all play good the second day, it was great.”