EHS golf honors Tiger seniors in chilly hybrid match at Lakeview
Eight Tiger golfers were honored Tuesday at Lakeview Golf and Country Club, as both the boys and girls programs celebrated their senior classes in a cold, rainy senior night match.
LAKEVIEW PARK — The Ephrata boys and girls golf programs honored their senior athletes Tuesday in a non-league Senior Night match at Lakeview Golf and Country Club in Soap Lake.
The eight seniors are: Stella Bayley, Rayn Castillo, Cecilia Roth and Natalin Abundiz for the girls; Brady Hendrick, Cody Ogle, Caleb Moberg and Andrew Jacobsen for the boys.
The match featured a hybrid format: the Tiger boys competing in a best ball round on the front nine holes while the Tiger girls shot stroke play on the back nine. A combination of cold temperatures, rain, and wind made for one of their chilliest outings of the season.
The girls recorded nine holes of stroke play, led by Sophie Molitor, who carded a 46. She was followed in succession by teammates Stella Bayley with a 47, Rayn Castillo shot 48, Ceci Roth posted a 49, and Alyee Roberts rounded out the lineup at 51.
On the boys side, two pairings — Caiden Weber and Noah Castillo, and Hendrick and Ogle — each posted scores of 76 in best-ball play. The duo of Caleb Moberg and Jett Julian finished with a 79, while Andrew Jacobsen and Rogan Homer followed with an 82.
Tiger girls coach Tracy Pickeral and boys coach Dan Molitor both commented on their respective seniors.
Pickeral, who has coached her seniors since their freshman year, said watching the group develop over four seasons has been among the most rewarding parts of her tenure.
"I've seen them make so much growth as golfers and as young women," Pickeral said. "While they are all competitive, they are also very compassionate, encouraging teammates."
She hopes they carry more than scorecards when they leave the program.
"Learning how to handle pressure, stay positive and show up for each other is what really matters," Pickeral said. "If they take that with them, they'll be set for whatever comes next."
Pickeral also credited the class with strengthening the program's culture for younger players. "They are incredibly supportive and encouraging to our younger and newer players and this has only made our program stronger," she said. "They've definitely left a mark on our program, and on me."
Molitor said becoming better acquainted with the senior boys as individuals has been his highlight of coaching them.
"Getting to know these four boys, what they've done and what they are thinking about doing down the road," Molitor said. His hope for the quartet: "That they enjoyed a game they can play for many years and slowly get better from our coaching staff."
The girls travel to the Eleen Northcutt Invite at Wandermere Golf Course in Spokane on Friday, April 17. Both programs return to CWAC pod play Monday, April 20, at 1 p.m. The boys head to Yakima Country Club for their sixth league match and the girls travel to Black Rock Creek Golf Course for Pod 6.
