Not in more than 20 years has an Iola High golf team been — as a full team — in a Kansas Class 4A state golf tournament.
Monday, two seniors and four freshmen step on Dub’s Dread Golf Club course for Mustang golf in the 2012 Kansas Class 4A State Golf Tournament. The two seniors — Zach Crawford and Kris Collins — might be the most nervous of the group.
“Our freshmen have played junior golf during the summers so they’ve been to larger tournaments where there’s a bigger crowd on the course with the players,” said Rick Horton, Iola High golf coach.
Horton was named the 2012 Southeast Kansas League golf coach of the year this week. Horton has been the Mustang golf coach for the past four years.
“It’s a great honor but just a reflection of our golfers. The kids work hard in practices and during tournaments but also they are a great bunch of kids,” Horton said of the award, which comes in Iola’s final season in the SEK.
The Mustangs captured the 2012 SEK league championship a week ago. They claimed a 2012 Kansas Class 4A Regional Tournament championship last Monday.
Along with Crawford and Collins will be freshmen Kaden Macha, Shane Walden, Drake Dieker and Isaiah Grover. Macha was the top medalist at last Monday’s 4A regional in Chanute. Walden was the second-place medalist.
“We’ve been talking to the guys about what it is like at the state tournament. I’ve never coached golfers in the state but have been to state tournaments over the years. My best friend is a high school golf coach who’s had players at state and I’ve been there to watch,” Horton said.
“These will be the biggest crowds most of these kids have had around them while playing a tournament.
“They will have that extra adrenaline flowing especially when they hit their opening tee shot.”
Horton said golfers have a minute to hit the ball once they address it. He said he’s told his golfers that if they don’t feel right before hitting the ball, just to step back.
“They just need to take a few breaths and relax. We want them to play their best at the state and have fun doing it.”
Crawford and Collins have played golf quite a few years. They played for Iola Middle School and all four years at IHS.
“At regional, I played terrible but I knew our freshmen were doing a heck of a job. I wanted to shoot well enough to help us qualify as a team,” Crawford said.
“This (the state) will be my last golf tournament in the six years I’ve been competing. It’s really very exciting to be going to the state tournament and rewarding for the hard work over the years.”
