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RVC champs! Post-season starts off well for boys golf team
by Gregory R. Norfleet · Sports · May 18, 2017


West Branch’s boys golf team won the River Valley Conference 13-team meet — upsetting the favored Wilton Beavers by two strokes — landed three on All-Conference Teams, then got two golfers through sectionals in a strong start to the post-season.


Head Coach Randy Sexton called it a “fantastic day” after the Bears took it all at Saddleback Ridge Golf Course in Solon.

The Bears held an 11-stroke lead after the front nine, with all six players doing well.

“The kids played just fantastic,” the coach said. “It was a very solid round.”

That front nine beat the team’s best nine-hole round by 21 strokes.

“This is a good day for the Bears,” Sexton said about seeing the first 54 separate holes only count six double bogies or higher. “I couldn’t be more proud for the kids.”

The team enjoyed the win for a day, then got back to work and headed to Wahkonsa — the home course for Wilton and Durant — for sectionals. To no one’s surprise, the two host teams won sectionals, but West Branch’s Ted Bridges medaled, coming out with the best score out of all 48 golfers.

Bridges beat out both both the Beavers’ and Wildcats’ best players — Jake Fratzke and Leo Callison, respectively — who had been leading the conference all season.

“To beat those two guys … is a huge accomplishment,” Sexton said.

Further, West Branch’s Trevor Thein also qualified for districts 10 a.m. Friday at Gates Park Golf Course in Waterloo.

“We were hoping to get the whole team through,” the coach said. “But we’re certainly pleased with Ted and Trevor, especially with Ted being medalist.”

River Valley Conference Meet team scores at Saddleback: 1. West Branch 320, 2. Wilton 322, 3. North Cedar 330, 4. Mid-Prairie 337, 5. Regina 338, 6. Durant 339, 7. Tipton 348, 8. West Liberty 350, 9. Cascade 352, 10. Bellevue 357, 11. Monticello 367, 12. Camanche 371, 13. Northeast Goose Lake 425.

Three West Branch golfers made All-Conference teams at that meet. Thein earned runner-up medalist honors and landed on the RVC Elite Team. Brady Lukavsky finished seventh overall and Bridges finished 10th overall for both to finish on First Team All-Conference.

Individual scores: Thein 33-41 74, Lukavsky 39-40 79, Bridges 38-43 81, Matt Whaley 43-43 86, Cade Aspelmeier 46-42 88, Evan O’Neil 45-52 97.

Sexton said Thein “certainly put in the time” to earn Elite Team status.

“I couldn’t be more happy for him,” he said. “He put two solid rounds together. Seventy-four is a fantastic score.”

As for Lukavsky and Bridge, the coach said both are “confident” right now.

“Ted has kind of been hitting his stride,” Sexton said. “Brady has been inconsistent, so for him to come out of there and smile again, that paid off.”

The Beavers led the RVC leading up to this meet, so for the Bears to come out on top was especially encouraging, he said.

“Wilton certainly was the favorite,” the coach said. “At the turn, we saw how we stacked up against them. The kids knew that if they took care of their foursomes, we’d be in the hunt.”

He noted that RVC South took seven spots in the Top Eight, and that North Cedar took third place, the best of the RVC North.

“We see them the most,” Sexton said of the regular-season schedule. “It’s neat to see the southern half dominate the tournament.”

Saddleback offers “a very fair course,” he said, so much so that he hopes to see the conference keep the tournament there.

“You can miss left and right off the tee and still be OK,” he said. The greens run fast and hazards include water and trees. “It tests skills, but it’s not a course that’s tricked up.”

He commended owner Ron Rushek for keeping the course in “great shape” and said the Bears played practice rounds there throughout the season.

Sexton said he was pleased to see the maturity of the players driving away from Solon with first place, and still trying to figure out how they could cut strokes.

“They’re never satisfied,” he said. “I’m very proud of them.”

Team scores from sectionals at Wahkonsa: 1. Wilton 325, 2. Durant 339, 3. North Cedar 344, 4. West Branch 356, 5. Regina 361, 6. Tipton 364, 7. Camanche 368, 8. Northeast Goose Lake 462.

Individual scores: Bridges 38-37 75, Thein 44-44 88, Lukavsky 45-51 96, Whaley 52-45 97, Aspelmeier 49-50 99, O’Neil 56-52 108.

Thein qualified to move on to districts based on the rules of advancing, Sexton said. Since Wilton and Durant took first and second at their home course, then a third team is allowed to advance, and North Cedar got in. Those 18 players are then removed from the second round of qualification. The second round looks at the two best scores remaining. Bridges had the best score, and Thein was second. However, Thein tied with three others with 88 — Regina’s Mark Schomer, Tipton’s Zach Ford, and Camanche’s Mason Kageman — so all four moved on with Bridges.

“It’s a pretty heavy field,” Sexton said.