RICHLAND — The Narrows’ Bridge division champion North Kitsap girls’ golf team proved last week that local successes the squad achieved this year could be equally matched when competing with the state’s best on the links.

The team picked up ninth at state with only three girls — Ella Sanman, Alicia Bratlien and Miquela Pendleton — competing at Meadowsprings Golf Course in Richland.

“It was phenomenal,” Vikes’ coach Brian Bignold said of the tournament. “We exceeded every goal we had this year.”

The unparalleled success in the season — defeating South Kitsap, Gig Harbor and Central Kitsap to name a few — continued in Richland, with two of the three Viking golfers qualifying for day two action.

Sanman shot a 92 the first day to miss the second day cut but her teammates Bratlien and Pendleton went on for play on the second day. Bratlien shot an 85 and an 83 in state while Pendleton shot an 84 and a 96.

Coach Bignold commented that the Vikings were up against teams whose players belonged to private clubs, where access to golf was year-round. Despite that disadvantage, North Kitsap — which plays out of the Kingston Driving Range and Bainbridge’s public Meadowmeer nine-hole course — moved ahead of many of those teams by leaps and bounds.

“It proves you could have a good golf team without having a country club,” Bignold said.

Things are only going to get better, Bignold added, with only one junior — Rachel Parcells — on the team. The rest of the squad, including the three state qualifiers, are sophomores or younger.

“I really am so proud of what we’ve accomplished,” Bignold said. “For these kids to be sophomores, I expect to put all five in state next year.”