La Grande boys golf finishes seventh at state championships
La Grande’s 706 at Emerald Valley put the boys golf program seventh in Oregon’s 4A field, one stroke from sixth and firmly among the state’s best.
La Grande’s boys golf team closed its state run with a seventh-place finish that put the Union County program among Oregon’s best in the 4A bracket. The team shot 706 at the 2026 OSAA State High School Golf Championships, just one stroke behind Madras at 705 and ahead of Seaside at 712.
The 4A boys tournament was held May 18-19 at Emerald Valley Golf & Resort in Creswell, giving La Grande a stage that demanded precision from the opening round to the final putt. In a championship where the middle of the leaderboard was separated by only a few strokes, La Grande’s margin over Seaside and narrow gap to Madras showed how competitive the field was and how little room there was for error.
That result also reflected the direction of the program under head coach Ricky Gloria at La Grande High School, which competes in the 4A-6 Greater Oregon League. A seventh-place finish in the state championship does more than add a line to the record book. It signals that La Grande can travel outside Union County and measure up against deeper 4A programs, a sign that should matter to returning players and younger golfers watching the program climb.
The finish carried added weight because it came with the school year winding down and seniors finishing their high school careers. La Grande’s own reflection on the week emphasized the value of competing against the state’s best and representing the community with composure, hard work and resilience, a tone that matched the final result. For a small city that watches its school teams closely, a top-10 state finish offers a visible point of pride and a benchmark for what the next group of golfers can chase.
La Grande’s profile was not limited to the course. The school was also listed among OSAA’s 2026 boys golf academic all-state qualifying teams with a 3.04 team GPA, showing that the program paired competitive results with classroom performance. That combination gives La Grande a solid foundation heading into next season, with the state finish, the academic standard and the experience gained at Emerald Valley all pointing toward a program that has room to build and reasons for the community to stay invested.
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