High school golf preview: Keep an eye on these 12 elite players this fall
After a successful Year 1, the second season of fall high school golf is already underway in the Treasure Valley.
Idaho’s 5A and 4A schools moved their golf season to the fall last year in an effort to get more course time and seek better weather. The state’s 3A and 2A programs still play in the spring.
But no matter the season, the Boise region remains loaded with Division I talent, junior circuit aces and long-distance drivers.
We broke down the top boys and girls to watch.
TOP BOYS GOLFERS
Trevor Garus, Capital
The two-time 5A district champ and UCLA commit heads into his senior season fresh off a monster summer. He won the men’s state amateur in July, then spent last week at the national USGA Amateur Championship in Colorado. Garus has yet to bring home a high school state title, but he enters as the heavy favorite for one this fall.
Beau Sahr, Eagle
The junior takes on a bigger role for the Mustangs with Wheaton Ennis, a Texas A&M commit, not playing this year. He’s sniffed a title each of the past two years, finishing inside the top 10 at both district and state twice. That includes a second-place finish at district and a bronze medal at state as a freshman. He starts the year fresh off a junior circuit win in Big Sky, Montana.
Reid Piron, Boise
He captured the 5A individual state title as a freshman and led the Brave to the team crown as well. A so-called down year saw him take ninth at district and 11th at state last fall. But the junior showed everyone what he could do by winning a pair of junior events last spring and taking third at the men’s state amateur last month in McCall.
Curtis Seidel, Middleton
He became the Vikings’ first 4A individual state champ in the spring of 2022. He can etch his name into the record books by adding another title at the 5A level. He finished 17th at state last year in his first 5A go-round. The senior will look to climb back to the top this fall.
Jaxson Wright, Vallivue
The reigning 4A district champ added a state junior amateur title to his trophy case earlier this month at the Palouse Ridge Golf Club in Pullman, Washington. The only championship missing from his resume is a high school state title. The senior gets one last chance as state returns to Moscow, a short drive away from the site of his junior am victory.
Niclas Bischoff-Jones, Bishop Kelly
The back-to-back 4A district and state team champs remain loaded. Who emerges atop the group depends on the day. But Bischoff-Jones has remained a steady and productive hand for the Knights throughout his career. He’s yet to finish lower than sixth at district or state, a chief reason for all those trophies.
TOP GIRLS GOLFERS
Ella Arnzen, Timberline
The junior established herself as one of Idaho’s best last fall, winning six of the nine events she entered, including a three-stroke win for the 5A district crown. She added a third-place finish at state, then continued her winning ways on the summer circuit. She captured the Rocky Mountain PGA Junior title in June, earning her a trip to the national event in Arkansas earlier this month.
Kelly Goulet, Boise
The senior enters as one of the favorites looking for her elusive first championship. She took second at state last fall by a single stroke, and she was fourth as a sophomore. Boise coach Jeff Ulrickson said the team captain has improved each year, hopefully leading to a breakthrough.
Anna DaBell, Rocky Mountain
A standout on the volleyball and basketball courts, the senior headlines the Grizzlies’ bid for a fourth straight team state title. The long bomber took fourth at state a year ago, and she finished 13th as a sophomore. All that experience ought to pay off as Rocky Mountain guns for a fourth straight district title, too.
Olivia Lammey, Middleton
The senior represents another top-five state finisher returning in the Treasure Valley. She also has another top-10 state performance and two top-five district rounds to her name, providing yet another contender in the loaded 5A Southern Idaho Conference.
Cara Carter, Bishop Kelly
She made a name for herself as a freshman last fall, finishing atop the leaderboard at the 4A district tournament before adding an eighth-place finish at state. The sophomore kept it up in the offseason, finishing eighth at the women’s state amateur and second at the Rocky Mountain PGA junior championships, joining Arnzen as a national qualifier.
Claire Hall, Vallivue
The junior already has a host of high school honors to her name. That includes a district championship as a freshman, and two top-five finishes at state. Another successful summer leaves her entering the season in stride.
TEAM PREVIEWS
The top golfers to watch from each team in the 5A and 4A Southern Idaho Conferences, according to their coaches. Teams not listed did not respond to the Statesman’s preseason survey.
5A SIC
Boise: Kelly Goulet, sr.; Reid Piron, jr.; Reid Hoppock, so.; Jack Bureau, fr.
Borah: Cooper Kelleher, sr.; Lucy Johnson, so.
Centennial: Madden Bishop, so.; Alexandra Jensen, so.
Eagle: Indie Taylor, so.; Olivia Lodge, sr.; Audrey Schummer, sr.; Beau Sahr, jr.; Zach Shipp, sr.
Kuna: Max Wendel, sr.; Jaylin Toothman, sr.
Meridian: Katie Yu, jr.
Middleton: Curtis Seidel, sr.; Luke Olsen, sr.; Olivia Lammey, sr.
Mountain View: Mason McGee, fr.; Maci Sutton, fr.;
Nampa: James Martinez, sr.; Alivia Cleaver, sr.; Lyla Davis, fr.; Lilly Miller, jr.
Owyhee: Brooklyn DiPalma, sr.; Eliana Cho, so.; Tucker Dilks, jr.; Xavier Short, so.
Rocky Mountain: Jacob McFarland, so.; Anna DaBell, sr.; Jane Barry, sr.;
Timberline: Ella Arnzen, jr.; Ryan Shephard, jr.; Anthony Goodson, sr.
4A SIC
Bishop Kelly: Cara Carter, so.; Maeve Fitzgerald, jr.; Jessi Moodie, jr.; Sally Defranco, jr.; Andrew Moodie, sr.; Niclas Bischoff-Jones, jr.; Will Comstock, jr.
Caldwell: Isaac Villegas, sr.; Lucas Madrigal, sr.; Draven Johns, jr.
Columbia: Brady Dion, sr.; Tehya Gallegos, sr.; Eli Smith, sr.; Aryn Okelberry, sr.
Emmett: Russel Larson, fr.; Jake Heaton, sr.; Reagan Larson, fr.; Mary Thompsen, sr.
Skyview: Jordyn Horak, sr.; Jhett Morledge, jr.; Colter Bodily, so.
Vallivue: Claire Hall, jr.
This story was originally published August 17, 2023 at 3:21 PM.
