BUTTE — The Class AA state golf tournament required three extra holes to determine its boys champion on a cool, occasionally rainy Friday afternoon at the Butte Country Club.
Helena Capital’s John Gilbert and Missoula Sentinel’s Jack Schaefer both finished the second round with a two-day total to send the round into a playoff. They both bogeyed the first hole, then parred the second.
On the third playoff hole Schaefer bogeyed and Gilbert, a junior, then sank a birdie putt to slip past Schaefer and claim the individual crown in dramatic fashion a year after settling for a tie for fifth.
“It feels great, I’ve wanted to be a state champion since I was a kid,” said Gilbert. “First year I missed it a little bit. Second year I was leading with nine to play and kind of choked. But it feels good to put two good rounds together and be a state champ.”
WATCH THE STATE AA ROUND 2 RECAP:
State AA Golf: Helena Capital’s John Gilbert, Billings Senior’s Payton Tryan win championships; Missoula Sentinel boys, Bozeman girls claim team titles
Both Gilbert and Schaefer carded a two-round 72-69—141 to force sudden death. Great Falls CMR’s Jack Pinski, the Eastern AA champion, finished in third with a 72-72-144. Helena’s Austin Kaufman and Sentinel’s Derek Schaefer tied for fourth at 150 and Kalispell Glacier’s Luke Nelson placed sixth with a 151.
Schaefer’s runner-up finish helped pace the Spartans boys to their first team championships since 2020. Sentinel finished with a 596, Capital took second with 611 followed by Gallatin (625), Glacier (627) and Bozeman (638).
In the girls’ tournament, Billings Senior’s Payton Tryan built off her four-stroke first-round lead to win the individual title with a 76-77-153. She’s the third straight Bronc to win the girls title after Becca Washington last season and Kenzie Walsh in 2023.
Your 2025 State AA Golf Champions:
Boys individual: John Gilbert, Helena Capital
Girls individual: Payton Tryan, Billings Senior
Boys team: Missoula Sentinel
Girls team: Bozeman#mtscores pic.twitter.com/eJ6YfHuGzN
— Luke Shelton (@lukeshelton_mtn) October 4, 2025
“It’s pretty cool,” said Tryan, a junior. “I’m really close with Becca so I’m really glad that I got to be a state champion after her.
She said her first-round lead helped give her an edge in the second round but she was also just focused on taking the same approach that she did on Thursday.
“It gave me a lot of confidence but I just wanted to keep the same mentality of how I went into the tournament, just one shot at a time,” she said.
In the girls team race, Bozeman earned its first championship since 2020 thanks to three golfers placing in the Top 5. Heidi Huber was runner up with a two-round total of 160 and Kira Connell claimed third with a 162 while Avery Gardner tied for fifth with Belgrade’s Lilia Troxel with both shooting a 169. Gallatin’s Breckin Frederick took fourth with a 167.
The Billings West girls finished in second place (724), the Gallatin girls placed third (759), the Billings Senior girls took fourth (772) and the Kalispell Glacier girls claimed fifth (774).
State AA golf
Oct. 2-3
Butte Country Club
Final round
BOYS
Team scores: 1, Missoula Sentinel, 303-293—596; 2, Helena Capital, 306-305—611; 3, Gallatin, 315-310—625; 4, Kalispell Glacier, 309-318—627; 5, Bozeman, 323-315—638; 6, Great Falls CMR, 332-319—651; 7, Billings West, 331-329—660; 8, Missoula Big Sky, 345-330—675.
Top 15: T1, John Gilbert, Capital, 72-69—141 (won playoff); T1, Jack Schaefer, Sentinel, 72-69—141; 3, Jack Pinski, CMR, 72-72—144; T4, Austn Kaufman, Helena, 75-75—150; T4, Derek Schaefer, Sentinel, 76-74—150; 6, Luke Nelson, Glacier, 73-78—151; T7, Torren Murray, Glacier, 76-76—152; T7, Isaac Mosser, Billings Skyview, 81-71—152; 9, Willy Nowlen, Sentinel, 80-73—153; T10, Reece Chapman, Capital, 74-80—154; T10, Joseph Meusey, Sentinel, 76-78—154; T10, Benson Lauermann, Gallatin, 79-75—154; 13, Will Benne, Bozeman, 84-71—155; T14, Cobe Sacry, Gallatin, 78-78—156; T14, Ryan Dailey, Gallatin, 77-79—156; T14, Hudson Goroski, Sentinel, 79-77—156; T14, Jackson Hageman, CMR, 80-76—156.
GIRLS
Team scores: 1, Bozeman, 352-337—689; 2, Billings West, 369-355—724; 3, Gallatin, 387-372—759; 4, Billings Senior, 379-393—772; 5, Kalispell Glacier, 406-368—774; 6, Helena, 394-393—787; 7, Missoula Big Sky, 426-420—836; 9, Kalispell Flathead, 420-434—854.
Top 15: 1, Payton Tryan, Senior, 76-77—153; 2, Heidi Huber, Bozeman, 80-80—160; 3, Kira Connell, Bozeman, 81-81—162; 4, Breckin Frederick, Gallatin, 84-83—167; T5, Avery Gardner, Bozeman, 85-84—169; T5, Lillia Troxel, Belgrade, 85-84—169; 7, Anna Fenhaus, West, 85-85—170; 8, Paige Loberg, West, 88-83—171; T9, Quincy Weymouth, CMR, 87-90—177; T9, Maggie Milton, Glacier, 92-85—177; 11, Kendall Tkachyk, Glacier, 95-86—181; 12, Mya Helvic, Helena, 91-91—182; 13, Cailyn Rudolph, Billings Skyview, 90-93—183; 14, Charlotte Dale, Big Sky, 95-90—185; T15, Ryane Viker, West, 94-94—18; T15, Brooklyn Hageman, Great Falls CMR, 95-93—188.
