Friday Harbor golf brings home two medals at state championship
Published 1:30 am Thursday, May 21, 2026
By Jack Rice
Coach
Friday Harbor High School capped its postseason run with a standout showing at the WAII State Golf Championship, held May 19-20 at Liberty Lake Golf Club. Two Wolverines — senior Jack Hess and sophomore James Hollingsworth — earned their way into the elite state field and both returned home as medalists.
The boys division was limited to just 40 competitors, with only the top 20 advancing to Day Two. Hess opened the tournament with an 82, placing him in 10th and safely inside the cut line. In the girls’ combined 1B/2B division, the field was capped at 60 players, with the top 30 moving on. Hollingsworth continued her strong postseason play, firing a 94 to finish Day One in 14th place.
What happened next was the kind of performance coaches dream about.
Hess came out firing on Day Two, birdieing the first hole and closing with another birdie to card a superb 78. His steady, powerful play vaulted him from 10th to a sixth-place state medal, one of the highest finishes in Friday Harbor program history.
Hollingsworth matched that determination. Starting the day in 14th, she delivered another composed 94, climbing the leaderboard to secure the 11th-place medal in the state. For a sophomore, it was a remarkable display of poise under pressure.
Both athletes “brought home hardware,” a testament to how far they’ve come and how difficult it is simply to qualify for the state championship.
Assistant coach Gordy walked with Hollingsworth throughout the tournament, helping with rulings and ensuring no golf balls went missing in the tall Spokane rough. As for Hess, coach Jack Rice joked that he doesn’t require much shepherding: “When he hits it 300-plus down the middle of every fairway, it’s not too hard to keep track of his golf ball.”
The coaching staff emphasized not just the scores, but the character shown by both players.
“It says a lot about these two young golfers—the way they handled the pressure and performed at such a high level,” the coaches said. “Both are winners, and we’re so proud to have the pleasure of coaching them.”
With two state medals and two athletes who rose to the moment, Friday Harbor’s 2026 season ends with pride, momentum and a bright future ahead.
As a regional highlight, Orcas Island’s Joe Anderson captured the boys state title — his second championship in three years. Anderson won as an eighth grader, finished runner-up as a freshman and reclaimed the crown this year as a sophomore. His consistency and composure continue to mark him as one of the most promising young golfers in the state.
