GREAT FALLS — After the first day of Class AA state golf tournament at Meadowlark Country Club, it's a tight race in both the boys and girls competition.
At the top of the girls leaderboard is defending champion Payton Tryan from Billings Senior. She shot 73 on Thursday and is 1-over going into the final round Friday.
Tryan is followed closely by Gallatin's Aerin Ryan, who shot 75 (3-over) on Day 1. In third place is Paige Loberg from Billings West. She shot 78 in Thursday's opening round.
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Topping the boys leaderboard, sitting in the top spot after shooting 68 is Helena Capital's Jayce Belzer. He's 4-under through his first 18 holes.
Three strokes behind Belzer in second place is teammate and defending champion John Gilbert. He shot 71 on Thursday. From Butte High is Jack Muhlstein, who finished at even-par to put himself into third place.
The final round tees off Friday at Meadowlark Country Club.
Class AA state golf tournament
Round 1, Thursday
BOYS
Team scores: 1, Helena Capital 299; 2, Missoula Sentinel 300; 3, Kalispell Glacier 308; 4, Bozeman 311; 5, Gallatin 312; 6, Great Falls CMR 315; 7, Butte 316; 8, Billings Skyview 319.
Top 10: 1, Jayce Belzer, Capital, 68; 2, John Gilbert, Capital, 71; 3, Jack Muhlstein, Butte, 72; T4, Jackson Hageman, CMR, 73; T4, Brady Muus, Skyview, 73; T4, Toren Murray, Glacier, 73; T8, Sam Alke, Gallatin, 74; T8, Joseph Meusey, Sentinel, 74; T10, Will Benne, Bozeman, 75; T10, Andrew Johnson, Bozeman, 75.
GIRLS
Team scores: T1, Billings Senior 327; T1, Gallatin 327; 3, Missoula Big Sky 361; 4, Billings West 362; 5, Missoula Sentinel 369; 6, Helena Capital 371; 7, Great Falls CMR 381; 8, Billings Skyview, 395; 9, Kalispell Glacier, 396.
Top 10: 1, Payton Tryan, Senior, 73; 2, Aerin Ryan, Gallatin, 75; 3, Paige Loberg, West, 78; 4, Aspen Lura, Gallatin, 80; 5, Charlotte Dale, Missoula Big Sky, 81; T6, Clare Jensen, Senior, 82; T6, Breckin Frederick, Gallatin, 82; 8, Olivia Thormahlen, Sentinel, 83; 9, Maci Rieff, Glacier, 84; T10, Maggie Mitton, Glacier, 85; T10, Kate DeShaw, Butte, 85.
