SALINA — Just one stroke.
That was the difference between qualifying for the Class 5A state tournament and staying home for Great Bend High School’s golfers as a team on Monday afternoon at the par-70 Salina Municipal Golf Course.
Newton won first place at 312, host Salina Central was a distant second at 322 and Hays held off the Panthers for third place with 324 points.
The top three teams are bound for the state tourney next Monday at Alvamar Country Club in Lawrence.
And then there was Great Bend, which finished one stroke back of Western Athletic Conference rival Hays at 325, good for fourth place.
Panthers senior Jeff Keenan and junior Tanner Neeland both finished in the top 10  individually to qualify for the state meet.
Neeland finished sixth and Keenan eighth after the No. 5 through No. 10 medalists played in tiebreakers.
“I’m ecstatic,” beamed Great Bend head coach Troy Stein. “The guys played hard, competed well and we  gave ourselves a chance.
“I’m not disappointed at all. We would have loved to have gotten everybody in and taking a whole team to state, but getting two guys in is fantastic … one stroke. We were so close. Who knows? A kid from Hays hit a 30-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole and that could have been the difference. Who knows?”
Neeland came out strong, firing 36 on the front nine to move atop the leader board, along with Newton’s Omar-Ramos Thaw, whom he edged in the playoff for sixth place after he and four others finished at 78.
Neeland carded 42 on the back nine.
“I was pulling off on my drives, but then my drives started coming around,” Neeland said. “I was just putting really good. My chips kind of got a little worse on the back nine.
“I birdied on No. 14 or 15 and that kind of set the tone for the rest of the round. I had two birdies and I had eight or nine pars.
“This was my best round of the season. I’m pumped. I was on fire on the front nine.”
Neeland’s 36 caught even Stein off-guard.
“I was a little surprised when he was only 1-over on the front nine,” the coach said. “That’s a great score.
“He did a good job of focusing and concentrating on the back nine.”
Keenan kept an even keel shooting 39s to finish at 78 and ultimately in eighth place.
“I was pretty happy with the way I played,” he said. “Going to state was my goal, so I guess I achieved that.
“My playing was all right, but what really held me up was my driving and my iron play. After I shot 39 (on the first nine holes), I thought I had a chance to break 80. That was kind of my mind-set on the back nine, to get another 39 or better.”
All in all, it was a memorable day for the Panthers.
“We were very pleased with the way we played today,” Stein said. “We had two kids shooting under 80. It was a good day. We couldn’t have played much better.
“I think it probably was our lowest score of the season. Sometimes other teams play better. We have returning kids that got some experience and got real close. Hopefully, it will be some motivation to get them out on the course this summer and take another run at it again next year.”

CLASS 5A REGIONAL GOLF TOURNAMENT

 At Salina

Salina Municipal
Golf Course

(Par 70)

Monday
1.   Newton, 312; 2. Salina Central, 322; 3. Hays, 324; 4. Great Bend, 325; 5. (tie) Salina South, 339; Valley Center, 339; 7. Liberal, 352.

MEDALISTS
(Top 10)
1. Ben Hargrave, Salina South              37-33 — 70
2. Aaron Stewart, Hays                        38-38 — 76
3. Lane Pauls, Newton                          38-39 — 77
4. Blake Cormack, Salina Central          39-38 — 77
*5. Dalton Ayers, Newton                     37-41 — 78
*6. Tanner Neeland, Great Bend           36-42 — 78
*7. Omar Ramos-Thaw, Newton            36-42 — 78
*8. Jeff Keenan, Great Bend                 39-39 — 78
*9. Chris Beneke, Valley Center            38-41 — 79
*10. Ludwig Risland, Newton                39-40 — 79
*Fifth through 10th place determined by tiebreakers

TEAM BREAKDOWNS
NEWTON (312)
Lane Pauls                           38-39 — 77
Dalton Ayers                        37-41 — 76
Omar Ramos-Thaw               36-42 — 78
Ludwing Risland                   39-40 — 79
Jared Fromm                        44-42 — 86
Cole Rother                          42-41 — 86
SALINA CENTRAL (322)
Matt Martin                           41-40 — 81
Blake Cormack                      39-38 — 77
Jacob Martin                         42-40 — 82
Will Shadwick                        39-44 — 83
Christian Leyh                       47-43 — 80
Zach Martin                           41-41 — 82
HAYS (324)
Aaron Stewart                        38-38 — 76
Kaden Bellman                       39-44 — 83
Ryan Unruh                            41-41 — 82
Nathan Romme                       49-41 — 90
Cash Hobson                          40-43 — 83
Lane Clark                              40-46 — 86
GREAT BEND (325)
Jeff Keenan                             39-39 — 78
Tanner Neeland                        36-42 — 78
Aaron Mull                               41-43 — 84
Chance Haney                          45-40 — 85
Cole Mulch                               45-42 — 87
R.J. Seidel                                51-51 — 102
SALINA SOUTH (339)
Ben Hargrave                            37-33 — 70
Cody Burnett                             42-42 — 84
Brandon Young                          45-49 — 94
Nathan Kroeker                         47-47 — 94
Clay Peppiatt                             51-49 — 100
Mitchell Roets                            44-47 — 81
VALLEY CENTER (339)
Chris Beneke                             38-41 — 79
Isaiah Lewis                              49-50 — 99
Drew Ellington                           43-40 — 80
Alan Joyal                                  42-42 — 84
Jestin Jackson                            47-46 — 93
Keegan Abbey                            51-50 — 101
LIBERAL (352)
Lucas Poulton                             38-44 — 82
Calvin Peterson                           48-49 — 97
Blake Stout                                 47-47 — 94
Zach Stout                                 51-49 — 100
George Fitzgerald                        46-44 — 90
Michael Begleyl                           43-43 — 86