School exams and tune-up matches for state tourneys ahead for area golf teams this week
Mother Nature smiled on area high school golfers Saturday afternoon after the day started with ominous weather conditions.
An early morning thunderstorm which rolled through northern Indiana Saturday would eventually postpone the Hoosier North Conference Tournament at Round Barn Golf Course in Rochester. Triton and LaVille were to return there with their HNC brethren on Monday.
But the Northern Indiana, Northern Lakes and Northeast Corner conferences were able to proceed Saturday afternoon with their tournaments despite ominous-looking radar on cell phones. The NIC teams did play through some sprinkles at the beautiful Pretty Lake Golf Club southwest of downtown Plymouth that will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year. At the end of the tournament, however, sunny and somewhat warm skies greeted champion Penn (305), which beat South Bend Saint Joseph by five strokes. The Indians’ freshman No. 1 Thomas Raster shot a one-under 71 to capture medalist honors from Penn senior No. 1 Ryan Hahaj (73) and Elkhart freshman No. 1 Steven Webb (74).
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In the Northern Lakes Conference Tournament at Black Squirrel Golf Course in Goshen, Warsaw’s senior No. 1 Cal Hoskins, who is headed to Indiana University, continued his sizzling play of late, shooting a five-under 67 in a round that featured six birdies and an eagle. NLC coach of the year Jack Carpenter’s Tigers totaled 303 to win the NLC tournament by 16 strokes over Northridge, which got a 73 from Brock Reschly.
Fairfield freshman Brayden Miller shot a two-over 73 which included a back-nine, four-under 32 as coach John Kauffman’s Falcons (326) finished third behind champion Lakeland (322) and runner-up Westview (325) at the par-71 Zollner Golf Course at Trine University at Angola.
Most of the Indiana area schools have light schedules this coming week as the players tune up their academic skills for the end of the school year and their golf skills for upcoming sectionals beginning Friday, June 3. That day sectionals will be hosted by LaPorte (Beechwood), Northridge (Meadow Valley) and Warsaw (Rozella Ford). South Bend’s Erskine Park will play host to Penn, Saint Joseph and others in a sectional Monday, June 6.
In Michigan, state regionals begin Tuesday, May 31 for area teams. The Beeches Golf Club in South Haven will play host to a Division 3 regional field which includes Brandywine, Buchanan and Dowagiac. Also on May 31, Niles and Edwardsburg head to Augusta and Stonehedge North for their Division 2 regional. On June 1, Cassopolis will play in a Division 4 regional hosted by White Pigeon at Klinger Lake Country Club in Sturgis.
New Indiana poll
Warsaw moved up four spots to No. 10 in the eighth week of the Indiana High School Golf Coaches Association poll released last Friday. Penn, which was ranked No. 15 last week, fell out of the Top 20 but was receiving votes.
Indiana recap
On Monday, host Trinity School of Greenlawn (175) won a triangular from New Prairie (187) and Mishawaka (188) on the par-36 back nine of Knollwood East. Jacob Palmer of Trinity and Ben Pamachena of Mishawaka shared medalist honors with three-over 39s. Hunter Zdyb shot 43 to lead New Prairie. … Fairfield (177) finished the NECC dual season with an 11-0 record after beating Prairie Heights (193) and Central Noble (236) in a triangular at Cedar Lake Golf Course in Howe. Andrew Miller and Miles Nine led the Falcons with 43s.
On Tuesday, Raster and Zach Toul had matching two-over 38s to lead host Saint Joseph (156) to an NIC triangular victory over Marian (172) and Adams (199). Ben Padrnos shot 41 to lead Marian, while Kurt Guzik’s 43 led Adams. … Host Trinity (196) scored a triangular victory over Bethany Christian (200) and Elkhart Christian (205) at Knollwood. Three golfers shared medalist honors with four-over 40s – Trinity’s Jacob Palmer, Elkhart Christian’s Aiden Hibbard and Bethany Christian’s Carmeon Heinisch. … Liam McDowell shot 40 at Bent Oak to lead Concord to a 170-177 NLC victory over visiting Plymouth. Bennett Christy of Plymouth shot 39 for medalist honors. … Tatsu Gravender shot 49 on Elbel Park’s back nine to lead Jimtown (229) to an NIC victory over undermanned Clay. Bobby Burns shot 60 for the Colonials. … NorthWood (173) beat Wawasee (178) and host Goshen (179) in an NLC triangular at Black Squirrel with Cooper Wiens shooting 39 to lead the Panthers. … At Michigan City Municipal, Crown Point (159) beat LaPorte (165) and host Michigan City (203) to win a Duneland Conference quadrangular. Tayler Menke led the Slicers with a 38.
On Wednesday, Warsaw (147) had perhaps its best scoring effort of the season, with all five golfers shooting two-over-par 38 or better in earning NLC victories over Goshen (169) and Plymouth (186) on the par-36 front nine at Stonehenge Golf Club. Cal Hoskins led the way with a one-under 35 followed by 37s by Ben Brander and Aidan Bowell and 38s by Lewis Turley and Jaxson Gould. Plymouth’s Bennett Christy also shot 38, while Chase Meyer and Todd Kauffman each shot 40 for Goshen. … Penn (155) was host to LaPorte (174) and Elkhart (187) in a triangular on the front nine of Knollwood’s West Course. Ryan Hahaj matched par 36 for Penn, while Steven Webb shot 41 for Elkhart and Tayler Menke and Ryan Sittig each shot 43 for LaPorte.
On Thursday at Swan Lake, host John Glenn (180) beat Adams (191), Culver (213) and Jimtown (235) in a quadrangular. Mason Kobelt shot a four-over 40 to lead the Falcons. Kurt Guzik led Adams with a 45, Tatsu Gravender shot 52 for Jimtown and Stephen Pugh led Culver with 49. … Host NorthWood (170) won an NLC triangular at McCormick Creek with Concord (173) and Mishawaka (210). Concord’s Charlie Deuel won medalist honors with a 39, one stroke better than Earl Williams of NorthWood. Bean Smith shot 49 to lead Mishawaka. … At Beechwood, host LaPorte (185) split a Duneland quadrangular with Valparaiso (155) and Merrillville (230). Tayler Menke, Ryan Sittig and Brock Holmes led the Slicers with 45s.
On Friday, LaPorte (178) dropped a Duneland Conference triangular to host Crown Point (156) and Valparaiso (158) at White Hawk Country Club. Ryan Sittig shot a six-over 42 to lead the Slicers.
Michigan recap
On Monday at the par-71 Chikaming Country Club near Lakeside, South Haven (387) beat eight other teams in the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference tournament. Bridgman finished second at 400. Brandywine totaled 437 for fifth pace, four strokes ahead of sixth-place Buchanan. Connor Brooks of Our Lady of the Lake (formerly Lake Michigan Catholic) won medalist honors with an 86, two strokes ahead of Buchanan’s Aiden Mondschein. Miles LeMere shot 107 to lead Brandywine. … At Orchard Hills Country Club, host Niles (177) beat Edwardsburg (179) and Otsego (186) in a Wolverine Conference triangular. Aiden Krueger shot 40 to lead the Vikings, while Ethan Emenaker shot 41 to lead the Eddies.
On Tuesday, Ethan Emenaker’s 44 led Edwardsburg to a 190-207 Wolverine victory over visiting Three Rivers at Four Lakes Country Club.
On Wednesday, Vicksburg (346) captured the 10-team Wolverine Conference tournament at the par-72 Stonehedge North Golf Club in Augusta. Niles (376) finished seventh, a stroke ahead of Edwardsburg. Dowagiac totaled 392. Josiah McClelland of Vicksburg won medalist honors with his 77, two strokes ahead of Evan Bruckner of Niles. Andrew Kurowski and Ethan Emenaker shot 80s to lead the Eddies. Abraham Guernsey led Dowagiac with 91. Bruckner, Kurowski and Emenaker made the all-conference team.
SEND YOUR HIGHLIGHTS: Area coaches in Indiana and Michigan are encouraged to send their results and highlights (holes-in-one, etc.) to this writer at flafinman@aol.com or sports@sbtinfo.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: High school golf news and notes
