CHANUTE — Iola High’s golfers battled high winds and tough greens Monday at Chanute’s Stone Creek Golf Course.
Sophomore Titus Jones found a way to overcome the elements shooting a round of 92, good for fourth place overall, his best ever finish.
“Titus played extremely well,” Mustang coach Jeremy Sellman said. “He has been working on his swing and we have tried some new things that seem to be working well for him. His ball striking has improved and he has been getting better on the greens every week.”
Jones’s round included only one double-bogey.
“I’m happy for him and his success,” Sellman said. “I hope he can carry this momentum into regionals.”
Next was sophomore Chris Holloway, who carded a 95 and took sixth.
“Chris had a good day picking his way around the course,” Sellman said. “He had a couple mistakes that cost him a better score, but his ability to rebound kept him close on the leaderboard. We have been working on adopting a better mental game approach to help him keep a mistake from costing him another. Talking with him, he said he centered himself on the back nine and kept his emotions in check.”
Xander Sellman was close behind, shooting a 97 and tying for eighth.
“Xander was finding himself in good positions, but was unable to calculate how much the wind would affect his shots,” Jeremy Sellman said. “When he spoke about his round, he struck it well but just couldn’t find the greens on approach shots.”
Ethan Harris took 28th with a 128.
“The wind was a big factor,” Sellman said. “He doesn’t hit it as far as the rest of his team but he keeps pressing forward and doing his best. His never-quit attitude is what keeps him improving every week.
“Having three kids place in the top 10 playing in a Southeast Kansas meet was impressive,” he continued. “It shows the potential this group has. I am really looking forward to seeing them continue growing on this journey.”
Iola, which took fourth overall, is gearing up for its biggest tournament of the year, with the Class 4A Regionals Monday in Fort Scott, with a chance to advance to state on the line.
