Royal golf team has challenges, opportunities
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 5 months AGO
Royal High School golfers Esven Espino, left, and Trevor Dorsing make their way to their balls at the Royal City Golf Course Tuesday.
JOEL MARTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Royal High School golfer Molli Klefbeck, left, and Assistant Coach Collin Christensen practice at the Royal City Golf Course Tuesday.
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | March 13, 2024 12:30 AM
ROYAL CITY — The Royal High School golf team has an uphill climb ahead of it this year, said coach Pete Christensen.
“We had high hopes until a couple of our boys went back to playing soccer,” Christensen said. “They played soccer their freshman year and came to golf last year and they did really well in golf and they went back to soccer this year. We thought we'd have a run at the league and district title but now it's going to be really tough.”
The team consists of eight or nine boys and four girls this year, Christensen said. The team graduated one player who was on varsity last year, so it’s more or less the same team this year, except for the players who switch teams.
“Our team shortened a lot since last year; we had people leave and graduate, but I think we're pretty strong together,” said sophomore Molli Klefbeck. “If we can get a few more people out we can have a shot at winning league and districts again.”
“I think it’s promising,” said senior Esven Espino. “We’ve got some good players.”
Espino had never played golf before he joined the team as a sophomore, he said.
“I’m probably just going to try to get a little bit better at everything,” Espino said. “That's kind of been my goal every year.”
Klefbeck came to the team with a little more experience, she said, because she had golfed with her dad growing up.
“(I’m focusing on) my short game,” Klefbeck said. “That's probably the most important thing with everyone.”
“Golf is a hard enough sport to learn and to be competitive at it,” Christensen said. “It takes time generally, to get to that level. We've got, I think, four freshmen out this year, (and) they're already doing well for not competing in golf before. They played a lot … but competing in a tournament level is different.”
Teaching young players to compete in golf is a challenge, Christensen added.
“At this level, we're not trained professional coaches. And if (something) works for them, even though it may not be technically sound, we're not going to try to reinvent their swing. If they're functional and scoring well with the swing they have, we're not going to try to revamp everything about it. But if they come in new, we try to mold them into having that consistent swing where they can repeat a shot more consistently.”
Joel Martin may be reached via email at [email protected].
Royal High School golfer Molli Klefbeck, left, and Assistant Coach Collin Christensen practice at the Royal City Golf Course Tuesday.ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Quincy National Night Out scales down
QUINCY — Quincy’s National Night Out was more compact this year, which worked out well, said QPD Sgt. Joe Westby, who’s in charge of event planning for the Quincy Police Department. “National Night Out is a big event, and the fact that we’re able to shrink it up is like a breath of fresh air,” Westby said. “If you're always doing the same thing, it's kind of nice to switch things up and see how it works.” National Night Out took place Thursday on the block of C Street next to the police station, a shift from previous years when it was held at Lauzier Park. The smaller space meant fewer emergency vehicles for children to explore, but it also meant less walking for attendees. Grant County Fire District 5 brought a fire truck, and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office had a patrol boat. Renew, the Grant County behavioral health agency, had a booth and so did Quincy Partnership for Youth. Veterans Operation Creation sang the national anthem, and the Quincy Animal Shelter brought kittens that piled over each other making friends with passersby. As before, the QPD served grilled hot dogs.
Quincy Police retirements leave big shoes to fill
QUINCY — There are some big shoes to fill at the Quincy Police Department. “We’re losing 48 years of experience between them,” Quincy Police Chief Ryan Green said at the retirement party for Capt. Jorge Trujillo and Det. Damon Powell Thursday. Trujillo, who grew up in Sunnyside, has been with QPD for 19 years, he said, coming on as a patrol officer fresh out of the military. From there he served as a field training officer, a detective and finally captain. “I consider him my left-hand man,” Green said. “He runs the operations side of the house … He knows the agency very well, and he knows the community.” Trujillo has some projects around the house to tackle now that he’s retired, he said.
Big fun on a small scale
Wheat Land Communities’ Fair opens Thursday
RITZVILLE — The Wheat Land Communities’ Fair isn’t as big or as flashy as some of the county fairs around central Washington, but the folks who keep it going like it just the way it is. “It’s somewhere you can go and get an old-time traditional feeling, and you’re comfortable letting your kids roam the grounds and experience all that it has to offer,” said Board Member Lori Williams. “It’s more of a feeling than (one) specific thing,” The fair starts Thursday in Ritzville and runs through Sunday. Starting Friday, the 56th Ritzville Rodeo will take place alongside the fair at the rodeo grounds. This year the entertainment budget was expanded, Williams said, to be able to offer more fun that’s covered by the cost of admission. For the kids, there’s face painting, balloon art, Lego crafts, races, contests and games. Children can also ride on a little train towed around the fairgrounds behind a tractor.