The Baker boys golf team dominated the district tournament at Quail Ridge Golf Course in Baker City, and will defend its Class 4A state title next week.

The Bulldogs claimed the top four individual places and won the team title by 94 strokes over Pendleton in the two-day, 36-hole tournament that started Monday, May 6 and concluded Tuesday, May 7.

Both teams will compete in the state tournament May 13-14 at Emerald Valley Golf Course in Creswell, south of Eugene.

Baker’s Isaiah Jones and Eli Long tied at the top with two-day totals of 151 strokes.

Long carded rounds of 71 on Monday — the lowest round of the tournament — and 80 on Tuesday. Jones shot rounds of 76 and 75, and officially placed second.

Jaxon Logsdon was third, one stroke back with a two-day total of 152 (75, 77).

Kaden Conklin was fourth at 163 (79, 84).

Palmer Chandler tied for fifth at 173 (86, 87) with Pendleton’s Landon Neistadt.

Baker’s two-day total (top four players) was 617. Pendleton was at 711, and La Grande at 826.

The fourth team in the district, Ontario, had just two players.

“I think our team is excited” about the chance to win back-to-back state titles, Jones said. “And I am, too. I think we have a good chance to win again. “The main thing is taking one shot at a time and believing in ourselves and having confidence.”

“Making it to state for the second year in a row, and trying to get another title, and trying to come together as a team, we just have to play our game most of all,” Eli Long said. “We’re just staying calm in the moment and also we don’t have to rush or anything, other teams are going to be the nervous teams, we don’t have to birdie, don’t have to eagle, just have to stay steer the way.”

In 2023, Baker won the school’s first state team title, topping runner-up Molalla by 26 strokes.

Jones was Baker’s top individual, finishing third overall with a two-day total of 143 strokes.

Long had two straight rounds of 74 to place sixth. Logsdon shot rounds of 79 and 77 to place eighth. Chandler shot 83 and 84 to place 19th, and Conklin had rounds of 82 and 92 to tie for 25th.

The Bulldogs’ lone state golf champion is Brandon Ellwanger, in 2014.

Baker had one player, Lilly Wilson, competing in the girls district tournament.

Big tournament

Baker and its three district opponents were hardly the only teams playing at Quail Ridge this week.

Baker coach Mike Long said 139 boys and girls competed. Quail Ridge is the venue for the Class 4A boys district tournament, and the girls Class 4A/3A/2A/1A and boys Class 3A/2A/1A events. Participating schools include Burns, Dufur, Echo/Stanfield, Enterprise, Heppner/Ione, Mac-Hi, Nixyaawii, Nyssa, Pilot Rock/Ukiah, Prairie City/Grant Union, Riverside, Trinity Lutheran, Umatilla, Union/Cove/Imbler, Vale, Wallowa/Joseph.

Long said he has been amazed by the generosity of 30 or so local volunteers who are helping with the tournament, everything from operating a hospitality room for coaches to helping players find lost balls.

“It’s a reflection on our community,” Long said.

He said many coaches and players have told him how impressed they are with the condition of the course.

The volunteers helped ensure that all players finished their rounds on Monday despite occasional rain.