Baxter finishes second in division

Junior Ellie Baxter of Thompson Falls is the last golfer left standing in Sanders County. She earned a berth in the State Tournament by placing second at the divisional tournament in Fairmont last week with a score of 89. Only the top 15 individual scores qualify for a spot at state, along with the top four teams. Plains had three girls in the top 40 with Lexa Craft, Grace Horton and Genna Deschamps placing 31st, 32nd and 34th, respectively. Thompson Falls put two boys in the top 40, Nick Tessier at 31st and Cael Thilmony at 36th.

Thompson Falls head coach Doree Thilmony is optimistic about her young team’s prospects for next year. “What is promising,” said Thilmony, “the fourth place team averaged in the mid 90’s.” Her boys now average in the 100-105 range, putting them very close to where they need to be to compete at state.“The boys chipped away and posted one of the best team scores they’ve had all season,” said Thilmony. Not only are the boys improving, they want to keep playing. “I said ‘Good job, Lucas [Allday],’ and he said, ‘Can I still come to practice?’ All the kids wanted to come back to practice.”

Baxter, however, is the only golfer on her team to compete this week at the state tournament back in Fairmont. The familiar setting may be advantageous for Baxter’s style of play which Thilmony described as, “conservative.” She used her driver for the first time last week and hit the ball, “long and straight,” said Thilmony. I asked why she would wait until so late in the season to break out the driver. “The Fairmont course is very forgiving, most of their holes are straight…She’s a student of the game. She’s got the right character to be a golfer.” The State Tournament takes place over two days and the golfers will be scored on 36 holes. “Ellie has a chance to place in the top three,” said Thilmony.