At high school boys golf’s mid-season, check out this area all-star team
This past week’s warm weather comes just in time for the final month of the high school boys golf season. The final round of the two-day Indiana High School Athletic Association state tournament at Prairie View Golf Club takes place Wednesday, June 15.
It seems like just yesterday that area schools played in mid-30 wind chills on April 16 at Stonehenge Golf Club in Winona Lake for the Don Dicken Invitational. This Saturday, Northern Indiana Conference schools will convene at Pretty Lake Golf Club in Plymouth and their Northern Lakes brethren gather at Black Squirrel Golf Club in Goshen for conference tournaments.
So at the season’s midpoint, we asked coaches and players to ignore their own teams and help determine an all-star roster from among their competitors. Here’s their roster:
Seniors Cal Hoskins and Ben Brander of Warsaw
Coach Jack Carpenter’s Tigers, ranked No. 14 this week in the Indiana High School Golf Coaches Association Top 20, may have the best 1-2 punch in the area in Hoskins, who is headed to Indiana University, and the left-handed Brander, who will continue his career at Rose-Hulman. Hoskins, who is averaging 36.5 strokes per nine holes, followed up a one-under 71 at Friday’s Uebele Invitational with a six-birdie, four-under 67 at Saturday’s Culver Academy Invitational at Notre Dame’s Warren Golf Course. Brander, averaging 38.7 strokes per nine, had rounds of 77 and 76, respectively.
Senior Ryan Hahaj of Penn
When coach Tony Polizzotto fills out his lineup card, he starts with Hahaj, the senior captain who is headed to Indiana-Kokomo next fall. Hahaj is averaging 39.1 strokes this season and Friday shot 75 to help the No. 15 Kingsmen finish fourth behind champion Warsaw, No. 12 Crown Point and No. 10 Valparaiso at the Uebele.
Freshman Thomas Raster of Saint Joseph
The self-taught No. 1 for coach Bret Bajdek’s Indians had quite a week. Raster, averaging 38.1 strokes per nine, shot a one-under 35 at Culver Academy’s renowned nine-hole course (No. 3 in the World), shot 76 at the Uebele and finished with a 78 at Warren in the Culver Academy Invitational.
Freshman Brayden Miller of Fairfield
The 15-year-old Miller has emerged as perhaps the best freshman in the area, averaging 35.8 strokes per nine and 73.3 per 18, according to head coach John Kauffman. On Monday, Miller followed a morning 75 at Morris Park in the U.S. Open qualifier at Morris Park with a 37 in a late-afternoon round for the Falcons in their Northeast Corner Conference triangular victory at Glendarin Hills Golf Club in Angola with Westview.
Honorable mention
Elkhart freshman Steven Webb; Warsaw junior Aidan Bowell; Penn senior Maddox Snyder; Saint Joseph senior Zach Toul; New Prairie sophomore Hunter Zdyb; Northridge junior Brock Reschly; Goshen senior Chase Meyer; NorthWood junior Earl Williams; Trinity School sophomore Jacob Palmer; Triton senior Cole McKinney; Plymouth senior Bennett Christy.
Indiana recap
On Monday, host Saint Joseph beat Jimtown 165-230 in a Northern Indiana Conference match at Juday Creek. Raster carded a three-over 39 to lead the Indians, while Tatsu Gravender shot 53 for Jimtown. … Host Penn beat John Glenn 167-193 in an NIC match on Knollwood’s East Course. Hahaj shot 38 to lead the Kingsmen, while Alex Slater shot 44 to lead the Falcons. … Host La Lumiere (179) won a match from New Prairie (195) at Briar Leaf Golf Club in LaPorte. Zdyb shot 41 to lead the Cougars. … Adams (184) captured an NIC triangular from Bremen (201) and Riley (225) at Erskine Park. Adams’ David Fulcher shot 43, Bremen’s Josh King shot 46 and Riley’s Gabriel Stewart shot 49. … Warsaw beat host NorthWood 165-181 in a Northern Lakes Conference match at McCormick Creek. Hoskins, who earlier in the day shot 74 in the U.S. Open local qualifier at Morris Park, led the Tigers with a three-over 39. Cooper Wiens led the host Panthers with 41. … Wawasee coach Steve Coverstone earned his 400th coaching victory as the Warriors beat Bethany Christian 169-187 at Tippecanoe Lake Country Club.
On Tuesday, Saint Joseph played the renowned Culver Academies Golf Course, designed in 1926 by Golden Age architects William Langford and Theodore Moreau, and prevailed 153-164 by Raster’s 35 and a 36 by Toul. … Host New Prairie won an NIC match with Adams, 182-192, at Elbel Park. New Prairie’s Zdyb and Cole Shelton shared medalist honors at 43 with Adams’ Kurt Guzik.
On Wednesday, host Saint Joseph got a pair of even-par 36s from Raster and Joe Swick in a 154-185 NIC victory over Elkhart at Juday Creek. Webb shot 43 to lead the Lions. … Maddox Snyder’s five-over 41 led Penn to a 172-183 NIC victory over Mishawaka Marian on Eberhart-Petro’s front nine. Max Christianson’s 43 led the Knights. … On Eberhart-Petro’s back nine, Wawasee (160) won a Northern Lakes triangular with Plymouth (171) and host Mishawaka (171). Mishawaka’s Ben Pamachena won medalist honors with a three-over 37, one stroke better than Myles Everingham of Wawasee and Plymouth’s Christy. … Goshen (153) won an NLC triangular from Northridge (159) and host Concord (168) at Bent Oak. Chase Meyer of Goshen and Brock Reschly of Northridge shared medalist honors with one-under 35s. Charlie Deuel shot 38 to lead Concord. … LaPorte dropped a Duneland Conference match, 159-171, to host Lake Central at Palmira Golf & Country Club. Ryan Sittig and Brock Holmes each shot 42 for the Slicers.
On Thursday, Todd Kauffman’s one-over-par 37 led host Goshen to a 153-188 NLC victory over Mishawaka on Black Squirrel’s front nine. Ben Pamachena’s 43 led Mishawaka. … Northridge (167) won an NLC triangular against NorthWood (190) and host Plymouth (191) at the par-36 Pretty Lake. Reschly captured medalist honors with a 37, one stroke better than Plymouth’s Christy. Cooper Wiens’ 44 led NorthWood. … Warsaw (147) won an NLC triangular with host Wawasee (183) and Concord (191) at Maxwelton Golf Club. The Tigers had four golfers shoot under 40 led by 36s by Jaxson Gould and Bowell. … New Prairie beat host Westville 182-214 in a match at Legacy Hills Golf Club. Landon Farmer (41) and Miguel Mendez (42) had season-low efforts for the Cougars. … Brayden Miller matched par 36 as host Fairfield (177) beat Garrett (188) and West Noble (214) in a Northeast Corner match at Maxwelton.
Michigan recap
On Monday, defending champion Niles (158) won the sixth annual Leader Cup played at Orchard Hills Country Club in Buchanan, defeating Cassopolis (164), Edwardsburg (167), Dowagiac (180), Buchanan (203) and Brandywine (217). Aiden Krueger and Kade Delinski combined for 39 to win the best-ball championship, while fellow Vikings Evan Bruckner and George Pullen shot 36 to win the scramble event. Logan Pflug and R.J. Drews led the Rangers with 81, while Ethan Emenaker and Andrew Kurowski shot 82 for the Eddies. The Dowagiac teams of Abraham Guernsey and Luke Spagnoli and Dane Spagnoli and Travis Rehborg each shot 90. Aiden Mondschein and Tyler Miller led Buchanan with 91, while Carson Knapp and Robert Dillard shot 104 for Brandywine.
On Tuesday, Niles (177) beat St. Joseph (185) and Buchanan (222) in a triangular at Orchard Hills. Evan Bruckner of Niles and Charles Uzelac of St. Joseph shared medalist honors with 42s, while Aiden Mondschein led Buchanan with a 45. … Host Edwardsburg beat Dowagiac 188-204 in a match at Four Lakes Country Club. Harrison Smith led the Eddies with a 45, while Abraham Guernsey shot 47 for the Chieftains.
On Wednesday, South Haven (200) won a Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference quadrangular at Plym Park from Berrien Springs (211), Buchanan (217) and host Brandywine (228). Buchanan’s Aiden Mondschein shot 46 and Miles LeMere’s 54 led Brandywine. … Edwardsburg edged host Sturgis, 175-176, in a Wolverine Conference match at Klinger Lake Country Club. Andrew Kurowski’s 40 led the Eddies.
On Thursday, host Edwardsburg beat Paw Paw, 187-210, in a Wolverine Conference match at Four Lakes Country Club. Harrison Smith shot 45 to lead the Eddies.
On Friday, Kalamazoo Hackett (341) won the White Pigeon Invitational at Klinger Lake Country Club. Among the 10 teams competing were Cassopolis (fourth, 386), Buchanan (seventh, 443) and Brandywine (ninth, 468). Logan Pflug led the Rangers with 87, Aiden Mondschein led the Bucks with 92 and Robert Dillard led the Bobcats with 109.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: IHSAA golf: Mid-season checkup, all stars ahead of state tournament
