Morning Star Staff
VSS Panther head coach Mike Sawka was counting on Braeden Cooper to deliver his best Monday in the Okanagan Valley Senior AAA Boys Golf Championships at Spallumcheen Golf & Country Club.
Cooper carded a 1-over 72 for the low score of the day, boosting the Cats to the runner-up team placing at 319. The Pen-Hi Lakers won the title at 306.
Parker Wadsworth of the Seaton Sonics was second overall with a 73.
VSS and Pen-Hi advance to the B.C. tournament, June 6-8, at Ledgview in Abbotsford.
Seth Blundell carded an 80, while Mike LeNoury produced 81 and Jaden Steinke 86 for the Panthers. Eli Wery, the Cats’ fifth man, fired 89.
Pen-Hi was led by Cam Davies with 74 and Jordan Simpson at 76. Jackson Coates and Declan Riddle both shot 78 to help the Lakers.
“I knew going in we had strong golfers on our team and possibly the top golfer in the Valley in Braeden Cooper, but history has shown that the big schools like KSS and South Kamloops that are double in population to us usually win the two berths to provincials without question, said Sawka.
“It was very exciting in the clubhouse as scores were coming in that showed us as one of the top two as the day went on.
“In the end, the boys were thrilled to what they had accomplished and are already looking forward to seeing what they can do at the provincials.”
The KSS Owls (Kelowna) took third place at 334 in the six-team field.
The Sonics were fourth with Mac Gourdine posting an 83, Kendra Munk Jones fashioning 84 Landen Harison shooting 85 and Josiah Gaskall carding 95.
The Mt. Boucherie Bears of West Kelowna were fifth at 348, while the South Kam Titans placed sixth at 355.
Meanwhile, George Wilkins of Predator Ridge was second at 76 in the Zone 2 Junior Golf Tour stop Sunday at Talking Rock in Chase.
Daniel Polischuk of The Harvest in Kelowna claimed the tourney title at 75.
Nik Federko of Two Eagles in West Kelowna and Brandon Smith of Gallgher’s Canyon in Kelowna shared third spot at 78.
Ryan Vest of Predator Ridge shot 82 to take second in the Bantam Division.
Dexter Weiten had an 84, Wadsworth an 88 and Hillview Bantam Max Lockwood 93 in a field of 39.
Matt Hopley of Gallagher’s Canyon ruled Saturday’s stop at the Salmon Arm Golf &CC with a 75, one stroke better than Marcus Apchin of Kelowna.
Federko finished third at 77, whle McKenna Lesiuk of Kelowna and Vest tied for fourth with 78. Vest turns 10 this summer.
Wadsworth posted an 82, while Lockwood and Wilkins each counted 84 and Weiten had an 87. Steinke shot 89, while Lockwood had 95 and Jones-Munk carded 99. There was a field of 39.
The Tour championships are scheduled for June 4-5 at Gallagher’s Canyon.
