March 28, 2024

Seasons end for EU, MA boys golf

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ANITA — Mount Ayr’s boys golf team took a step forward from the Class 1A sectional meet the week before during Friday’s district meet at Crestwood Hills Golf Course.

While the young Raiders team took a step forward, it was not quite enough to keep their season going.

Mount Ayr’s season came to an end with a seventh-place finish on a cold, soggy and wet day for golf.

The Raiders finished with a 364.

Coon Rapids-Bayard won with a 329. North Mahaska claimed the other team qualifying spot to this weekend’s state tournament at Marshalltown’s American Legion Golf Course with a 332. Exira-Elk Horn-Kimbalton was third with a 343.

“I was real happy,” said Mount Ayr coach Scott Giles. “I was proud of the way our kids played. That was a positive for us.”

The 45-stroke difference between Mount Ayr and Coon Rapids-Bayard showed the team what they need to do.

“On the way home, I said Coon Rapids had a 329 and we’re at 364. We’ve got a lot of work to do, get strokes down to where we’re in the hunt for a state tournament,” Giles said. “We’ve got to get down in the 40s for us to have a chance at state.”

The young Raiders squad picked up invaluable lessons for the future.

“They understand and realize what it takes to qualify, play in the state tournament,” Giles said. “Everybody has to play their own game, get down in the 40s, then work together as a team, concentrate on the game in the offseason.”

Mount Ayr was consistent with where it had been most of the season, Giles noted.

“They chipped pretty well. Most of the kids shot what they had been all year,” Giles said.

With a trip to districts in, the Raiders are geared to take a leap next season.

“It helps,” Giles said. “That comes with maturity. Maturity is a big part of it, controlling emotions a little better, doing things we need to do. We will get better, no doubt about that.”

Myles Greene tied for seventh with an 81 to lead Mount Ayr, carding a 40 on the outward nine and a 41 on the outward nine.

“He played pretty well. He was pretty consistent,” Giles said.

Dalton Elwood came up with a solid 89, carding a 41 on the back nine, his first nine holes, then a 48 on the front, his second nine.

“That’s pretty good for a freshman,” Giles said.

An area Giles wants to see from the team this summer and going forward is focusing more on playing the course.

“One thing I tell the kids is don’t go compete against the people in your group, compete against the golf course, what the golf course is playing, try to score your best against the golf course,” Giles said. “Sometimes people think they’re playing the people in their group. They get thinking I’ve got to beat him by so many strokes. That puts pressure on them.”

East Union places eighth

East Union’s boys golf team had just been at Anita’s Crestwood Hills Golf Course two days prior to Friday’s meet.

Eagles coach Dave Campbell and the team returned to Union County excited about their chances, the opportunity that stood in front of them to reach the state tournament heading into the district meet.

But the good feelings from earlier in the week did not translate into positive play Friday.

East Union’s season came to an end with an eighth-place finish with a 367.

“We picked the wrong day to not play our best,” said East Union coach Dave Campbell. “It was just not quite good enough.”

The course fit what the Eagles liked, but they could not amply take advantage of it.

“It’s a nice golf course. It sets up real well for us,” Campbell said. “We all had high expectations. We had a goal, we just picked the wrong day to have an off day.”

Ryan Collins had East Union’s only sub-90 round, carding an 88.

“That’s a pretty good number we wanted to have,” Campbell said.

The rest shot in the 90s, or above.

“They struggled with the conditions and the course,” Campbell said.

Friday was the final round for Collins and Christopher Case as Eagles.

“Both of them played really well for me all year,” Campbell said. “They were in the top two or three all year in scoring. They played really well.”

Friday’s disappointing end does not take away from what was a solid season for East Union. The Eagles won the Pride of Iowa Conference tournament and the sectional meet.

“It was a great regular season, great season,” Campbell said. “They’ve got a lot to take away from it, build on. We have four of the six returning again. We have a couple more kids coming up that can help out with that teamwise. We’ll take another run at it teamwise.”

Team results — 1. Coon Rapids-Bayard, 329; 2. North Mahaska, 332; 3. Exira-Elk Horn-Kimbalton, 343; 4. CAM, 351; 5. Wayne, 353; 6. Boyer Valley, 355; 7. Mount Ayr, 364; 8. East Union, 367; 9. Charter Oak-Ute, 373; 10. Moravia, 373.

Individual state qualifiers — Colton Lenz, Coon Rapids-Bayard, 74; Lucas Hemphill, Wayne, 77; Milan De Jong, North Mahaska, 77; Isaac McAlister, Coon Rapids-Bayard, 77; Jordan Lester, Lamoni, 78.

East Union cards — Ryan Collins, 88; Kyle Campbell, 91; Trevor Jones, 93; Sanden Cheers, 95; Christopher Case, 95; Gavin Klein, 102.

Mount Ayr cards — Myles Greene, 81; Dalton Elwood, 89; Russell Holmes, 95; Chase Henry, 99; Cayden Lambert, 101; Lucas Wurster, 106.