CHANUTE — Shane Walden had the lowest first round of golf Monday at Quarry Stone Country Club golf course. His teammate Kaden Macha was one shot back then ripped off a round of 35.
Iola High’s two freshmen led the Mustangs to their first Kansas Class 4A Regional golf championship since 1980. Macha finished with a tournament low 74 (39-35) to win the individual regional championship.
Walden was four shots back at 78 (38-40) to capture second place. The Mustangs won the regional championship with a team total of 332— 15 shots lower than what they shot as a team a week before on the same course in the Chanute High Invitational.
What’s that all mean?
The Mustangs are state tournament bound. The top two teams qualify for next Monday’s 2012 Kansas Class 4A State Golf Tournament. The state tournament is at Dub’s Dread Golf Club in Kansas City, Kan.
Freshman Drake Dieker finished in 15th place with an 89 (48-41). Senior Kris Collins shot a 91 (46-45) for 20th. Freshman Isaiah Grover (45-49) and senior Zach Crawford (47-47) each came in at 94 to place 25th and 26th, respectively.
Macha had carded an 83 a week earlier and Walden shot an 84 on the same course.
Coffeyville’s Field Kindly High also will be going to the state as a team, finishing second at 336. Grant Hendrix (79), Conner Murrell (80) were fourth and fifth then teammates Cody Thompson (88) and Kenton Blaich (89) finished in 13th and 14th. Brett Yeubanks shot a 90 and Tucker Garrison had a 118.
Individual qualifiers were El Dorado’s Travis House (79), Parsons’ Gilvon Darkis (83), Calvin Hugo (86), Chanute’s Brady Roush (86), Columbus’ Joe Schoech (87), Independence’s Logan Taylor and Levi Leiker, both at 87, and Augusta’s Kesten Trebbe (87).
Independence finished third as a team at 350 followed by El Dorado at 370, Columbus at 373, Parsons at 376, Chanute at 381, Augusta 382, Labette County at 386 and Baxter Springs at 415.
Iola High sent a full team to a state tournament in 1979 and 1980. Iola finished second in 1979.
In 1989, Jon May went undefeated in Southeast Kansas League junior high action — which was eighth- and ninth-grade players. May played for Iola High after the junior high season was over and qualified for the 4A state tournament as a freshman. May finished third in the state tournament.
