THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: The winning formula behind Coeur d'Alene High's state girls golf champions

A ball that looks like a small tire rolling on the green. 

An old-school putting style. 

The team's top player, who thrived in her new role as team leader. 

A coach who molded all this together. 

The Coeur d'Alene High girls golf team had a little bit of everything this year, en route to winning its first state title in school history Tuesday on its home course, Avondale Golf Club in Hayden. 

"Really, an awesome day for Viking golf," sixth-year Coeur d'Alene girls coach Jeff Lake said Tuesday night, as his team behind him posed for pictures in near-darkness, between the ninth green and the first tee. "You can see the Viking family that is here, and it was obvious. As you went around the course, you saw the Viking blue, so much support for us.  

"It's been a lot of hard work from a lot of different people, whether it's Avondale, or parents, or swing coaches, so many different people are a part of this. Rocky (Mountain, of Meridian, winners of the last six state girls titles) is an amazing golf team. It was very difficult. But it was awesome, and rewarding, and so happy to get across the finish line with this group." 

FOUR OF the five members of Tuesday's state title-winning team are juniors — Ella Wilson, who won her third straight state individual title, Jossetta Williams, Leah Heavener and Livi Garcia. 

Wilson, Williams and Heavener were playing at state for the third straight year; Garcia was making her state debut. 

Sophomore Emily Stillert, at state for the second year, finished third. 

As for that funny looking golf ball ... 

Taylor Made makes a ball with a wide stripe around it, in several different colors. 

Garcia uses one with a blue stripe when she plays for her high school team. She said she's been doing that for about a year and a half. 

"I've hit a lot of other people's balls in tournaments (which results in a penalty, for playing the wrong ball), and it's kind of a problem," Garcia said. "So I decided to play a ball that is more original and different." 

She said Stillert plays a similar ball. 

But what jumps out about Stillert is her side saddle putting style.  

Sam Snead is perhaps the most famous side saddle putter; locally, former Prairie Falls Golf Club co-owner Billy Bomar uses that putting style. 

"Our friends did it, so I kinda got the idea from them," said Stillert, who's been putting that way for more than 5 years. "I couldn't line up properly (using the standard putting style). The angle, standing over the ball normally was confusing to me, so I had to face the hole, and it works a lot better." 

WILSON CEMENTED her three-peat with a downhill, right-to-left, 15-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff. It was the second time in three years she won the state title in a playoff. 

"It was a huge sigh of relief," Wilson said when the winning putt dropped in. She later managed a smile as she hugged her competitor in the playoff, Rocky junior Zoe Moore. 

Wilson overcame a triple-bogey 7 on the third hole — her 12th hole of the day — and finished with a 77 for a two-round total of 148, 2 over par. 

"There was plenty of golf left," Wilson said. "I just knew if I let that affect the rest of my round that I would fall apart. I had to keep pushing through. One hole wouldn't determine my whole round if I didn't let it." 

"She's a living Coeur d'Alene High School legend," Lake said. "Two things I'll highlight about Ella — how she handles all that pressure is amazing. To have the target on your back, to be the No. 1 golfer, and to basically deliver every single time. This year, she's our team captain, and her leadership skills, the things she's done to bring us together and promote team, are so important. You can hear her here — I want to get a picture with all the girls who are here, not just the ones who played." 

WITH ALL of this year's state team set to return next fall, Coeur d'Alene will be the favorites to repeat next year. 

Wilson, who will be seeking an individual four-peat, won't be the only Viking with a target on her back. 

Stillert was third at state this year, Williams sixth, Heavener ninth, Garcia 16th. 

"A lot of my role is, I promote team; team is very important," Lake said. "The mental focus, the mental aspect of it, we talk a lot about course management, how to get through the round. I can help out with chipping and putting, but they each have their individual swing coach who really dials that swing in. For me it's just a combination of managing the whole thing, and also that course management, and preparation ... we spend a great deal of time on that. We have a program, it's like Google Maps for golf, so we can go through the course, in terms of preparation, distances .. "

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 1205, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @CdAPressSports. 

    MARK NELKE/Press Coeur d'Alene sophomore Emily Stillert hits her tee shot on the first hole Tuesday at the state 6A golf tournament at Avondale Golf Club in Hayden.