BILLINGS -- Justus Verge has the Bozeman Gallatin boys in prime position to win the program's first divisional golf crown after the Raptors opened a 21-stroke lead at the Eastern AA divisional golf invitational on Thursday at Peter Yegen Golf Club.
Verge, who won last fall's Class AA state golf championship while competing for Bozeman High, carded a 4-under-par 67 and leads Great Falls CMR's Eli Groshelle by a single stroke after the opening 18 holes of the divisional invite.
Verge's twin brother, Jordan, sits in third place with a 1-over-par 72, while Raptor teammates Ramey Lloyd and Stevie Voigt fired identical 73s to tie for fourth.
Billings Senior is second in the team standings behind Cade Wagner's 4-over 75.
The Bozeman girls, who haven't lost an invitational all season, have a 15-stroke lead over Billings West, with Sami Yates and Cooper Knarr atop the leaderboard. Yates and Knarr shot 4-over-par 75s Thursday to take two-stroke leads over Billings Skyview golfers Meilyn Armstrong and Cierra Sundheim, who posted 77s. The Falcons are third in the team standings, one stroke behind West.
The Golden Bears were led by Kadence Fischer's 78.
The top four teams, made up of five golfers, will qualify for next week's Class AA state invitational in Missoula. The top 10 individuals outside of those top four teams will also advance to the meet, which begins Oct. 1 at Larchmont Golf Course.
Golfers will tee off Friday morning to conclude the 36-hole tournament. For scores from the Western AA divisional at Fairmont Hot Springs, please click here.
Results from the first day of the Eastern AA divisional can be found below.
Eastern AA divisional golf
Round 1 results
Boys team scores
| To par | Total score | |
| Bozeman Gallatin | +1 | 285 |
| Billings Senior | +22 | 306 |
| Billings West | +38 | 322 |
| Great Falls CMR | +44 | 328 |
| Bozeman | +47 | 331 |
| Billings Skyview | +47 | 331 |
| Belgrade | +50 | 334 |
| Great Falls High | +77 | 361 |
Boys individual scores
| Justus Verge (Gallatin) | -4 | 67 |
| Eli Groshelle (CMR) | -3 | 68 |
| Jordan Verge (Gallatin) | +1 | 72 |
| Ramey Lloyd (Gallatin) | +2 | 73 |
| Stevie Voigt (Gallatin) | +2 | 73 |
| Logan Connolly (Skyview) | +3 | 74 |
| Tye Boone (Skyview) | +4 | 75 |
| Cade Wagner (Senior) | +4 | 75 |
| Treyden Haber (West) | +5 | 76 |
| Siam Wilailuck (Senior) | +5 | 76 |
| Reece Mayala (Senior) | +5 | 76 |
| Anthony Madison (Belgrade) | +7 | 78 |
| Tyler Brunner )Senior) | +8 | 79 |
| Connor Halligan (West) | +10 | 81 |
| Joseph Driscoll (Senior) | +10 | 81 |
| Jacob Brandon (Bozeman) | +10 | 81 |
| Croix Flohr (West) | +11 | 82 |
| Trenton Olson (GFH) | +11 | 82 |
| Nate Pailthorpe (Bozeman) | +11 | 82 |
| Jacob Wassmer (West) | +12 | 83 |
| Brodie Falk (Belgrade) | +12 | 83 |
| Noah Hollenback (CMR) | +12 | 83 |
| Bryant Rivenbark (Bozeman) | +13 | 84 |
| Dylan Couture (Bozeman) | +13 | 84 |
| Mitchell Fogelsong (West) | +14 | 85 |
| Jaxson Hinshaw (Belgrade) | +14 | 85 |
| Fox Weymouth (CMR) | +14 | 85 |
| Michael Perkins (GFH) | +15 | 86 |
| Gavin Klein (Gallatin) | +15 | 86 |
| James Broderick (Bozeman) | +16 | 87 |
| Jacob Maroney (Belgrade) | +17 | 88 |
| Ridge Wohler (Skyview) | +18 | 89 |
| Carter Corn (CMR) | +21 | 92 |
| Dylan Rickman (Skyview) | +22 | 93 |
| Justin Garcia (Belgrade) | +22 | 93 |
| Carter Philipps (CMR) | +23 | 94 |
| Wyeth Hayes (GFH) | +25 | 96 |
| Luke Huber (GFH) | +26 | 97 |
| Josh Ebel (Skyview) | +27 | 98 |
| Tate Swanson (GFH) | +29 | 100 |
Girls team scores
| To par | Total score | |
| Bozeman | +32 | 316 |
| Billings West | +47 | 331 |
| Billings Skyview | +48 | 332 |
| Billings Senior | +52 | 336 |
| Bozeman Gallatin | +55 | 339 |
| Great Falls CMR | +117 | 401 |
| Belgrade | +142 | 426 |
| Great Falls High | NA | NA |
Girls individual scores
| To par | Total score | |
| Sami Yates (Bozeman) | +4 | 75 |
| Cooper Knarr (Bozeman) | +4 | 75 |
| Meilyn Armstrong (Skyview) | +6 | 77 |
| Cierra Sundheim (Skyview) | +6 | 77 |
| Kadence Fischer (West) | +7 | 78 |
| Kenzie Walsh (Senior) | +8 | 79 |
| Halle Vandersloot (Gallatin) | +9 | 80 |
| Bella Johnson (West) | +10 | 81 |
| Sami Benson (Senior) | +10 | 81 |
| Annika Brocklebank (West) | +11 | 82 |
| Sara Priebe (Bozeman) | +11 | 82 |
| Addiley Lloyd (Gallatin) | +12 | 83 |
| Morgan Sunchild (GFH) | +13 | 84 |
| Franchi Ceartin (Bozeman) | +13 | 84 |
| Kelly Jones (GFH) | +14 | 85 |
| Lauren Mayala (Senior) | +15 | 86 |
| Kaitlyn Hensel (Skyview) | +17 | 88 |
| Zoie Ceartin (Gallatin) | +17 | 88 |
| Ella Torsleff (Gallatin) | +17 | 88 |
| Megan Voegele (West) | +19 | 90 |
| Avery Fawcett (Senior) | +19 | 90 |
| Alex Miller (Skyview) | +19 | 90 |
| Barbara McGregor (West) | +20 | 91 |
| Elly Atkins (Bozeman) | +20 | 91 |
| Kendra Thayer (CMR) | +24 | 95 |
| Alex Madsen (CMR) | +26 | 97 |
| Bryn Turnquist (Senior) | +28 | 99 |
| Ryann Walker (CMR) | +28 | 99 |
| Breanna Williams (Skyview) | +30 | 101 |
| Jordan Whitaker (Belgrade) | +32 | 103 |
| Leila Mamangnum (Belgrade) | +34 | 105 |
| Riley McHahon (Belgrade) | +34 | 105 |
| Tristan Zaremski (CMR) | +39 | 110 |
| Cassidy Levert (Gallatin) | +41 | 112 |
| Brynn Butler (Belgrade) | +42 | 113 |
| Isabella Corn (CMR) | +47 | 118 |
| Addison O'Neill (GFH) | +52 | 123 |
| Alyssa Lineback (Belgrade) | +57 | 128 |
