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Bears make good showing at Kalona before RVC meet
by Gregory R. Norfleet · Sports · May 11, 2017
With several River Valley Conference opponents in the mix, West Branch finished third overall last week in Kalona.
The Bears boys golf team earned a 369 at the Golden Hawk Invitational, the last 18-hole tournament before the post-season.
Team scores: 1. Wilton 347, 2. Mid-Prairie 363, 3. West Branch 369, 4. North Cedar 376, 5. Durant 381, 6. Regina 393, 7. Iowa Mennonite 394, 8. West Liberty 413
“I was pleased with how the teams finished in that order,” Head Bears Coach Randy Sexton said. The No. 2 team was host Mid-Prairie.
The weather made playing on the difficult Kalona course even harder, he said.
“Kalona is a tough course (already) and we had high winds and the grass was wet from previous rains. We weren’t getting any roll on our shots,” he said.
However, the team did beat five others that day, all facing the same conditions.
“But I think we could have done a little better,” Sexton said.
Individual scores: Trevor Thein 41-44 85; Ted Bridges 43-43 86; Brady Lukavsky 52-46 98; Matt Whaley 52-53 105; Cade Aspelmeier 58-52 110; Evan O’Neil 51-49 100.
Thein led the team and he and Bridges both medaled. Thein tied with North Cedar’s Nick Dewell, but a tie-breaker gave him fifth place and Dewell sixth. Bridges took seventh place with his score.
“I’m very happy for those two boys,” the coach said. “They have worked hard to improve. I’m happy to see them consistent and rewarded for their efforts.”
Making the top 10 among 48 golfers from these particular schools is difficult, so it is “a very nice accomplishment for both of those guys.”
“There are some quality golfers (at the Golden Hawk Invitational),” Sexton said.
With other RVC teams on the same course at the same time, West Branch got a taste of what they will see in Tuesday’s conference meet at Saddleback Ridge Golf Course in Solon.
“That’s one thing that’s kind of nice — we get to keep a pretty good eye on the southern conference with duals and tournaments,” the coach said. “But we don’t see the north until the conference tournament.”
Sexton predicts Wilton will be the favorite team to win.
“They’ve won everything they’ve been at all season,” he said.
That puts West Branch as the underdog at conference, but the coach said the Bears have a good chance.
“If we play to our capabilities, and play the way we should play, we’ll be in the hunt,” he said.
Just a few days after conference, the Bears return to Wahkonsa for the sectional meet on Friday.
“This is a big week for us,” Sexton said.
The coaches are always hoping the team will play its best, but Sexton said he does not want to put undue pressure on the golfers.
“We’ll let the scores fall where they may,” he said. “We should be in the mix.”
He said the Bears played a round at Saddleback the day after the Kalona meet, to familiarize themselves with the course.
Ryder Cup
West Branch hosted the Cedars Edge Junior Varsity Ryder Cup on Monday, and the home team bested the visiting Tipton Tigers and Regina Regals.
The Bears shot 194 to Regina’s 204 and Tipton’s 206.
Mitchell Knoop and Ben Colbert paired up and finished as runner-up medalists.
Playing “best ball” golf, scores for West Branch included: Jack Robertson/Ben Tisinger 48, Mitchell Knoop/Ben Colbert 47, Kristian Nalan/Jackson Taylor 51, Bryce Simpson/Alex Miller 49, Zachary Linn/Barrett Walsh 50, Nick Schreiber/Sexton 46.
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