Camas girls roll to second at state

Elise Filuk, Hailey Oster, Connie Wang, Emma Cox, Abby Jiang and Lauryn Tsukimura aced all of their objectives on the golf courses this spring.

The Camas girls won the league and district championship trophies.

They beat Union all four times this season.

And, they surpassed their top five finish at the state tournament initiative.

“All the girls were able to read their goals out loud and realize we accomplished every single one of them or exceeded them,” Filuk said. “I’m really thankful for this last season we had together. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to go out.”

With five finalists playing their best golf of the season at the same time, Camas rose to second place at state.

“We were told this was the best finish by any 4A school in Southwest Washington,” said head coach Bob Foster. “That was really quite a thrill for these girls.”

Filuk shot an even par 72 on the Sun Willows Golf Course Wednesday, to wind up in sixth place at the state tournament. The Seton Catholic College Prepatory High School senior finished 2-under on the back nine. She eagled the 15th hole, made a tricky up and down putt for par on 17, and then got a friendly nudge into the 18th cup for a birdie.

“I was 2-over at the turn, and knew I needed to rally back,” Filuk said. “I think of it as just 18 battles. It was on to the 10th battle. One hole at a time. One shot at a time.”

Filuk avoided the bunker on the 445-yard 15th hole and reached the green in two. Her approach shot landed just a few paces from the pin.

“I just wanted to take a mental picture of it,” she said. “You don’t get a tap-in for eagle very often.”

Filuk’s heart dropped on the 18th green when her birdie putt stopped on the edge of the hole and just hung there. Suddenly, the ball took on a life of its own and rolled in. Filuk wasn’t sure if it was a gust of wind or a stroke of luck, but she took it.

“It was just a great way to end my last hole of high school golf,” Filuk said.

Oster played steady rounds of 78 and 77 to secure 12th place for the Papermakers. This is a huge improvement over her 26th place finish as a freshman.

Wang went out with a bang in her senior year of golf. After winning the bi-district tournament to get to state, Wang fired a 76 in the final round to move up to 22nd place.

“She birdied 14, 15 and 16, and finished with her best round ever,” Foster said. “That really is what put us over the top.”

Cox delivered a 79 in the first round. The freshman struggled in the first nine holes in the finals, but she turned it around with a 38 on the back nine to take 32nd place.

Jiang, also a freshman, hung tough with an 83 and an 84 to help the Papermakers in the team standings. Tsukimura just missed the final cut.

Filuk earned the sportsmanship award. She also brought home a sixth-place medal, the second place team plaque and a lifetime of memories.

“Those last few holes were fun to play,” Filuk said. “But what I’m going to remember most is these girls and all the fun we had accomplishing our goals. That’s what’s going to resinate with me.”