WATCH: Highlights of CMR’s season-opening win over Helena Capital
WATCH: Highlights of CMR’s season-opening win over Helena Capital
The C.M. Russell High and Great Falls High golf teams are in full swing with a couple tournaments under their belts, with both showing positive gains.
The Rustler girls finished fourth at the Great Falls Invite two weeks ago before earning the team trophy in Belgrade last week, while the CMR boys have finished in the top four the past two meets. The Great Falls High teams have shown improvement as well, with players moving up the standings week to week.
The Bison and Rustlers are off to Billings on Monday and Tuesday, playing at Peter Yaegen and Lake Hills golf courses, respectively.
Here’s a look at the CMR and Great Falls High golf teams for 2025:
CMR golf
The CMR girls not only won the Belgrade Invite as a team but featured a medalist in Quincy Weymouth. The senior shot 78 on day one of the tourney and finished with a 171, earning a six-stroke victory.
Rustler coach Rylie Madsen said the girls’ squad worked hard in the offseason and have great potential led by just the one senior in Weymouth, who finished sixth at the state meet last year.
“They spend a majority of their time in the summers playing, which shows so much commitment to improving their game, and that can be said for Quincy — she’s done great,” Madsen said.
Freshman Brooklyn Hageman tied for fifth at the home meet and then tied for second in the team victory in Belgrade with a 177, shooting an 84 on day one. Hageman also has a round in the 70s this season, which Madsen said she hasn’t seen a freshman accomplish since she’s been on the CMR staff.
“It shows a lot of her work that she’s done in the offseason and getting ready for high school golf, and she’s right there in the competition,” said Madsen, in her second year as head coach after several seasons as an assistant. “Her game has so much room to develop, and I am so excited to see where the next three years after this take her. She’s a strong contender for a state title when she gets to that point.”
Alexa Davis and sisters Carys Habel and Lola Habel have also shown great signs of development, Madsen said, helping lead a team two sophomores and two freshmen.
“It’s really exciting because I will have so many more years to work with them and develop their games,” Madsen said. “It’s just a bright future, and all of them are working hard.”
Junior Jack Pinski leads the CMR boys again this season after finishing tied for ninth at the state tournament last fall. Pinski earned second at the Great Falls Invite (70-76) and was fifth in Belgrade last week (75-72) over 36 holes.
“He is also another kid who will put in copious amounts of work, especially doing his traveling tournaments around the country during the summer, and I’m really excited for his game as well,” Madsen said. “He’s grown a lot in his mental game and the way that he’s able to build that resilience through the two days (of meets).”
Jackson Hageman has also had a strong start, earning seventh at both of the past two tournaments.
“We’re still developing his mental game and getting to a place where you know that one bad shot does not make a whole round,” Madsen said. “I continue to push that on all of my kids, but he has done really well.”
Senior Ayden Platt, who finished 27th at state last season, is back as well, while junior Ryder Lang and senior Parker Zimmer have put in the work to compete in the top five for the Rustlers, Madsen said.
“It’s really promising because they are continuing to get better scores week after week just as far as collectively as a team,” Madsen said. “It’s just getting those two scores together and then of course succeeding in that, but it’s all very promising.”
Great Falls High golf
Veteran head coach Lance Olson returns for another year with Great Falls High, mentoring a relatively new group at the varsity level that has eased into the higher level of competition.
“There’s definitely some nerves out there, but I think they’ve adjusted, and it’s a continuous process,” Olson said. “We’re always looking forward to divisionals so we can qualify for state as many as we can, but I think the kids are settling down, and they’re playing well.”
Junior Madi Timmons has been leading the Bison girls’ unit, finishing ninth last week at Belgrade with a 195 over two days. Timmons, a standout swimmer for Great Falls High, is highly competitive, Olson said.
“She works really hard during the summer. She is an absolutely fantastic swimmer, and she’s in the mindset that she should be just as equally great at golf, and we just need to be working on the mental mindset that it’s OK to be good at something and not great,” Olson said. “She’s really pushing herself.”
Kinslee Reeves is another returner for the Bison, who finished 16th in Belgrade, while Belt transfer sophomore Camree Puppe is adjusting to AA golf well after taking 15th.
“I’m proud of the way she’s competing, and you know she’s improving every day, and that’s all I can ask, and I’m hoping that you know she’ll keep on improving through the whole season and have a great senior finish,” Olson said of Reeves. “And (Puppe) is a good addition to the team, and I think she’s going to be a good golfer as she goes through the high school career.”
Nina Newmack is also contributing as a freshman, and MaKenna Cornwell has also shown great strides, Olson said.
Sophomore Cruz Murillo is a varsity returner for the boys, as is senior Andrew Boutilier. Murillo has been a steady hand, Olson said, while pulling double duty with soccer, and Boutilier has demonstrated “focus and determination” in what is only his second year of golf.
“Those two are going to be solid leaders for me this year,” Olson said. “I’m looking forward to those two competing at divisionals and hopefully making state.”
There’s a handful of players competing for the remaining three spots, such as Cagen Getten, Braden Sturgis, senior Logan George, Casen Heck and Asher Lambert.
“Those guys are all fighting for those 3-4-5 spots,” Olson said.
Read the full article here