Six hopefuls head to state

Closing out the 2013 Saratoga High School fall golf season, six players are happily swinging their clubs toward this weekend’s State Tournament in Sundance.

Braxton Schwartzkopf, Guy Erickson, Chaze Wiant, Hazer Hinkle, Harley Klemola and Peyten Fisher will round out the five heading to the State Tournament, which takes place Thursday and Friday in Sundance. All scored below 150 on each day they played at the team’s Lusk Invitational last Friday and Saturday, and Schwartzkopf and Klemola both made the top 10.

Coach Matt Daubner said he expected kids to do well this weekend, even on what he called a tougher golf course.

“My biggest hope is that Braxton comes through, and I believe he has a good shot at the top five,” he said. “I’ll look for him in the top five for sure, and my hope is that he has a chance to win it. Guy also has an outside chance and could play pretty well to get into the top 10, and he’s right on the bubble, I think. It’s tough to say because we’ll be playing on a tough golf course, but if he breaks the 90 barrier, he’s got a chance.”

For the girls, Daubner said Klemola might make the top 10 if she keeps improving and playing as hard as she has been lately.

“She’s got a chance, and after she got a 107 one day at Lusk, you could tell she was really happy,” she said. “She felt really good about it, and that’s nice to see. She had been at around 120, 125 or 116, so to get 107 shows she’s been working at it a bit, paying attention and really practicing. It’s nice to see that smile and that hard work pay off.”

The scores from the Lusk Invitational are listed below:

Boys

Braxton Schwartzkopf - 81, 78 (159), third place

Guy Erickson - 99, 93 (192)

Christian Soles - 103, 96 (199)

Chaze Wiant - 131, 114 (245)

Hazer Hinkle - 94, disqualified on second day

Girls

Harley Klemola - 114, 107 (221), seventh place

Peyten Fisher - 123, 140 (263)