WICHITA — Great Bend's golf team shocked the 5A golf world with a runner-up regional finish (375) that clinched a spot in the 5A state golf tournament May 27-28 at Emporia Golf Course. The Panthers finished fifth in every Western Athletic Conference tournament this spring.
The Panthers win a tight battle with Salina South (377), Hutchinson (378) and Hays High (378) with winds gusting past 30 mile per hour on a challenging course.
Nash Lindberg (85) placed ninth along with 15th-place Ethan Somers (91), 20th Eli Somers (99) and 22nd Alec Premer (100) and Cal Schartz (100).
"Our guys will use this as a springboard to get better. I was excited for the players because they were pumped about what they accomplished," said Great Bend coach Steve Wolf. "They stayed in the moment and focused on what they could do for their team. We told them, 'Get the best score you can.'
The gusty winds evened the playing field.
"When it's windy on a hard golf course with water and gunch, that brought the field together," Wolf said. "Our guys kept plugging away. From the first hole to the end, it was close for second and third all day."
Eli Somers ended the Panthers' day with a final bogey 6 following a challenging approach to his final par 5 hole.
"Eli hit a pure 4-iron from 180 yards over trees and over water," Wolf said. "Eli hit it so well, he flew the green. He got up-and-dwn for a bogey. I was proud that Eli hit a great shot."
5A WICHITA, AUBURN HILLS GC
TEAM SCORES (top 3 teams)—1—Maize South 320; 2—Great Bend, 375 (9—Nash Lindberg, 85; 15—Ethan Somers, 91; 20—Eli Somers, 99; 22—Alec Premer, 100; 22—Cal Schartz, 100; 38—Trent Rowe, 123); 3—Salina South 377; 4—Hutchinson 378; 5—Hays High 378; 6—Salina Central 396; 7—Newton 428.
TOP 10 MEDALISTS (SQ)—1—Laken Matthews, MS, 75; 2 (SQ)—Rice, Hutchinson, 80; 3—Parkhurst, MS, 81; 4—Ewertz, MS, 82; Bishop, MS, 82; 6—Binger, MS, 83; 7—Hoover, MS, 84; Perry, SS, 84; 9 (SQ)—Payne, SC, 85; Nash Lindberg, GB, 85; 11 (SQ)—Johnson, Hays, 89; Oakley, Hays, 89; 14 (SQ)—Haas, Hutchinson, 90.
KINGMAN — In 45 years, Hoisington golf coach Bruce Cooper has been pleasantly surprised a few times.
The Cardinal golf team achieved that feat Monday
Hoisington's golf team (358) proved the value of every shot by qualifying for the 3A state tournament by one stroke over Garden Plain (359) in the Kingman 3A golf regional. The Cardinals qualify for the 3A state golf championship May 27-28 at Garden City's Buffalo Dunes Golf Course.
Cardinal Logan Cossel (86) was fifth medalist and Peyton Kinman (89) was eighth medalist. Also counting were 11th-place Nolan Jacobs (91) and 14th Kayden Kennon (92).
"On the way home, senior Peyton Kinman, asked 'Coop when we were freshmen did you think that this would happen (a trip to state)? I said, "Not in a million years. In 45 seasons of coaching this is one of my favorite teams."
The Cardinals won the Ellsworth Tournament, placed runner-up four times and placed third in the Central Kansas League.
"Our seniors have come a long way," Cooper said. "They're great kids with very supportive parents."
3A KINGMAN, EAGLES GC, par 72
TEAM SCORES (top 2 teams)—1—Cheney 337; 2—Hoisington, 358 (5—Logan Cossel, 86; 8—Peyton Kinman, 89; 11—Nolan Jacobs, 91; 14—Kayden Kennon, 92; 26—Kobe Crawford, 99; 28—Karson Kinman, 102); 3—Garden Plain 359; 4—Kingman; 5—Ellsworth; 6—Lyons 394; 7—Larned (27—Jace Holopirek, 101; 29—Gavin Collins, 99; 31—Brennon Stahlecker, 104; 47—Joeb Ratzlaff, 138; 42—Koby Lang, 122)
TOP 10 MEDALISTS—SQ—1—Kory Meireies, Kingman, 79; 2—Schrant, Cheney, 84; 3—SQ—Williams, Chaparral, 85; SQ—Eck, Garden Plain, 85; 5—Cossel, Hois, 86; 6—SQ—Dugan Garden Plain, 87; SQ—7—Snyder, Kingman, 88; 8—Ditgen, Cheney, 89; 9—Peyton Kinman, Hois, 89; O'Connor, Cheney, 89; SQ—McBeth, Kingman, 91
Eagles qualify for 2A state
SALINA — Central Prairie League champion Ellinwood (335) placed third at Monday's Salina regional to qualify for the 2A state golf championship May 27-28 at McPherson's Turkey Creek Golf Course.
Ellinwood's Luke Heinz (77) placed seventh. The Eagles also counted scores by 15th-place Braden Lewis (89); 17th Austin Brack (92); and 23rd Austin Shinliver (97).
Nine-time defending state champion Salina Sacred Heart (307) captured the team title. Sacred Heart's third-place state medalist Luke Newell shot 1-under-par 69 for medalist honors.
2A SALINA, MUNICIPAL GC, par 70
TEAM SCORES (top 3 teams)—1—Salina Sacred Heart, 307; 2—Hutchinson Trinity 319; 3—Ellinwood, 335 (4—Luke Heinz, 77; 15—Braden Lewis, 89; 17—Austin Brack, 92; 23—Austin Shinliver, 97; 27—Keaton Lewis, 104); 38—Zach Seifers, 139); 4—Smith Center, 390; 5—Solomon, 431; 6—Herington, 438; 7—Inman, 449; 8—Ell-Saline 480.
TOP 10 MEDALISTS—1—Luke Newell, SSH, 69; 2—Matteucci, SSH, 75; 3—Casebolt, HT, 76; 4—Luke Heinz, Ellinwood, 77; Tuttle, SSH, 77; 6—Blaylock, HT, 80; 7—Barnes, HT, 81; 8—Hogn, HT, 82; SQ—9—Morris, Sterling, 85; 10—Morris, SSH, 86.
SQ—16—Gehrke, Herington, 91; SQ—18—Kirchoff, Smith Center, 93; SQ—Sasse, Smith Center, 93; SQ—20—Coup, Solomon, 94.
1A, HESSTON GC, par 71
HESSTON — St. John's Brody Vieux (83) placed third to lead the Tigers (387) to runner-up behind Hutchinson Central Christian (331) in the Hesston 1A golf regional. The Tigers compete at the 1A Dodge City state tournament May 27-28.
The Tigers also counted scores by 11th-place Weston Peterson (92), 16th Easton Alpers (103) and 24th Dylan Vieux (109) to qualify for the 1A state golf tournament May 27-28.
TEAM SCORES (top 3 teams)—1—Hutchinson Central Christian 331, 2—St. John, 387 (3—Brody Vieux, 83; 11—Weston Peterson, 92; 16—Easton Alpers, 103; 31—Averi Fisher, 119; 24—Dylan Vieux, 109; 34—Cody Newdigger, 126); 3—Ellis 403; 4—Sedan 406; 5—Goessel 435; 6—Canton-Galva 461.
TOP 10 MEDALISTS—1—Cael Kooiman, HCC, 77; 2—Ryland Kooiman, HCC, 80; 3—Brody Vieux, SJ, 83; 4 (SQ)—Dickens, Sedan, 84; 5—Nathan Reed, HCC, 85; 6 (SQ)—Schrag, Goessel, 87; 7 (SQ)—Nelson, Win; 8—Tyler Reed, HCC, 89; 9 (SQ)—Glessner, Lakeside, 90; 10 (SQ)—Jace Kreutzer, Stafford, 91
