Union-Bulletin

RICHLAND - Wa-Hi's Jessica Huntsman finished third to lead the Blue Devils at the first Big Nine pod match of the season at Meadow Springs here Monday.

Richland's Kristin Strankman medaled with a 76 on the par-72 course.

Rounding out Wa-Hi's scoring golfers were Cassie Patterson at 120, Larissa Mercado 121, and Kendall Dunovant with a 128 on her first-ever 18-hole prep competition.

Richland won the team scoring with a 338, followed by Wenatchee 445, Chiawana 448, Wa-Hi 461, Moses Lake 492, Davis 585 and Eisenhower fielded an incomplete team.

"We're a really young team," Wa-Hi coach Mike Patterson said. "We have one senior, two sophomores and the rest are freshmen. We're still improving every day we can get out and practice. The weather hasn't been cooperating.

"Meadow Springs is going to be the toughest track we see all year," he said. "There's trouble lurking on every hole. For our first pod match, this is going to be a great learning experience for us."

While the Blue Devils are young, Patterson said the team has set its goals high.

"I think we have the potential to shoot in the low 430s as a team, that's our team goal," he said. "And we want to be in the top three teams (in the Big Nine) by the end of the year."

Wa-Hi next heads to the Wildhorse Invitational next Tuesday.