Enumclaw High sophomore Tyler Salsbury scored a runner-up finish at the Class 3A golf tournament in Richland, Wash., with back-to-back even-par performances at Meadow Springs Country Club.
The Hornets finished third overall as the two-day competition concluded May 26, so close again that coach Bob Kilmer believes another state title is imminent.
“We’re not going to wait another 10 years for a boys trophy,” Kilmer said. The Hornets won their last title in 1982.
“We were really going out for first,” Salsbury said. “We wanted to win it.”
Salsbury, the South Puget Sound League 3A’s male Player of the Year, entered Round 2 of the competition in fourth and finished two-strokes behind champion Scott Kim of Hanford, who shot a 2-under par 70 for the opening round.
“He’s a great player and a nice guy,” Salsbury said of Kim. “You can’t play defense in golf.”
Fellow Hornet, Jordan Beals, who will play next season at Seattle University, finished 18th at 152. Jake Erickson, who will play his college golf at Northern Idaho College, came in 29th and junior Tim Livermore, who is also swinging a bat for the Hornets’ state baseball team, was 42nd in the effort.
Hanford and Mount Vernon tied for first with 85.20 points with Enumclaw taking third with 76.50.
On the girls side, SPSL 3A female Player of the Year, junior Kelly Sweeney, who started the second day of competition in 21st, was EHS’s top female golfer finishing 12th with a two-day 160-stroke performance at Horns Rapid Golf Course. Teammate Torey Schreiner also placed in the Top 20.
The Hornets finished fourth behind Holy Names Academy, Mercer Island and Bainbridge.
For Schreiner, a senior, it marked her fourth-straight trophy. Since her freshman year, the Hornets have finished second, third, fourth and won it in 2008.
“That’s pretty amazing, when you think about it,” Kilmer said.
Kilmer said the girls’ competition was extremely tough this year.
“The cut was 89, the lowest ever at the tournament,” he said. “And five of our six girls had their best tournament round on Day 1. Girls golf is getting better and better.”
