Hanford Invite News - 2011
GIRLS GOLF NOTES - MAY 26, 2011

The Hanford girls golf team finished third Wednesday at the Class 3A state tournament held on Liberty Lake Golf Course near Spokane. The field of 80 players was cut to 40 after Tuesday's opening round. Hanford's qualifying team included Taylor Kain-Godoy, Kelsey Aiello, Katie Stephens and Bri Hadler. Kain-Godoy, Aiello and Hadler placed in the top 20 to earn 71 points. From left to right is head coach Mike Neidhold, Taylor Kain-Godoy, Kelsey Aiello, Katie Stephens, Bri Hadler and assistant coach Dana Kain.

GIRLS GOLF NOTES - MAY 17, 2011

Hanford's Kelsey Aiello took medalist honors with an 84, and the Falcons' Katie Stephens, Taylor Kain-Godoy and Bri Hadler also qualified for state at Highlander Golf Course in East Wenatchee.

Stepens tied for second with Eastmont's Hillary Seabrook at 88. Kain-Godoy finished fourth overall with an 89, and Hadler and Kamiakin's Kelsey Bigness each stroked 90 to tie for fifth.

The Falcons won the team title with 166 points.

At Highlander Golf Course (par 72)

Team points--Hanford 166, Eastmont 127.5, West Valley 112, Kamiakin 100.5, Pasco 77, Kennewick 66, Southridge 62.5.

State qualifiers--1, Kelsey Aiello (H) 84; 2T, Hillary Seabrook (E) and Katie Stephens (H) tied at 88; 4, Taylor Kain-Godoy (H) 89; 5T, Bri Hadler (H) and Kelsey Bigness (Kam) tied at 90; 7, Renae Visser (Sun) 92; 8T, Neydeen Martinez (P) and Haley Lipp (E) tied at 94; 10, Kayla Rothenbueler (WV) 95.

Hanford--Aiello, Stephens, Kain-Godoy, Hadler.

Kamiakin--Bigness, Crooke Childers 99, Taylor Monson 102, Amber Waters 119.

Pasco--Martinez, Sierra Linke 109, My Huyhn 110, Taylor Davis 134.

Kennewick--Ashley Kump 103, Mariah Zaback 109, Carlee Rhodes 113, Janey Valerio 136.

Southridge--Rachell Lusignan 104, McKenzie Andreath 107, Sydney Meuiller 112, Alex Karlsson 168.

GIRLS GOLF NOTES - MARCH 25, 2011

For the last decade, the Hanford High School golf team has routinely pumped out state-quality golfers.

The reasons for why the Falcons have been so successful throughout the aughts is up for debate.

Some in the program chalk it up to the hard work of the kids, others to a run of good athletes and others to the year-round nature the Hanford athletes put into the sport.

Most likely it is a mix of all of those reasons and a few more.

"It started about seven years ago with Alex Moore," Hanford boys coach Chuck Wagner said. "Scott Johnson helped him get started and he was a hard worker; out at the course so much. The other guys see him and picked up on his work ethic.

"It has continued, and it is continuing now. These boys are putting in four or five hours a day, six or seven days a week, all year round."

In the last 10 years, Hanford's boys have qualified 15 golfers to state, winning medalist titles in 2010 (Scott Kim) and 2007 (Alex Moore) and placing six in the top 10. The Falcons also won the team title in 2007.

On the girls side, the Falcons have qualified 14 golfers to state with one top-10 finish (Molly Jensen, ninth, 2004).

"When you compete with good golfers, it makes you better," said Hanford girls coach Mike Neidhold about his players playing in junior golf tournaments year-round. "We've had our runs, though we've had a bit of a dry spell of late. We are back in the thick of things."

For the Hanford boys, team it paid off last year as Kim won the state title as a junior. Then-freshman Tanner Martin took fourth place. Both are back this season.

"Scott Johnson would get onto us, even when I was 11 years old," Kim said. "At the time, I didn't realize how good he was, but he made us just want to work hard."

Moore won a state title in 2007, and Kim credited the Oregon State junior and former Hanford teammate Josh Harvey as being the ones to help teach him how to work on the course.

"I don't think I have that much talent," Kim said. "I'm at the course a lot, and I work at my game a lot. In the summer, I'm usually at the course from when I wake up until dark. During the school year, I come out after school and play until it's dark.

"However many hours of sunlight is how many I play."

While Kim is deferential for a defending state champion, the competition between the teammates helps drive the success of the team.

"It makes me want to follow in their footsteps," Martin said, "and do the same thing as them, or even better. I want to be a state champ by the end of my senior season."

While the girls haven't enjoyed the state titles the boys have, the Hanford girls team is no pushover.

The Falcons feature three returning state qualifiers and are expected to be at the top of CBBN 3A.

"We have a really good team connection," Hanford sophomore Taylor Kain-Godoy said. "I think we help push ourselves with