LURAY — Yates Center High’s Wildcats became the top cats in Kansas Sand Greens golf play in 2010.
The Wildcats scratched out a two-stroke team victory over Tipton to capture the 2010 Kansas High School Sand Greens state tournament championship.
“We really thought we had gotten second,” said sophomore Dylan Bauman. “Then they announced we won it. It’s great.”
Bauman played in his second straight state tournament Monday. He said he had a strong game going and was tied or ahead of individual state champion Garrett Bland of Lucas-Luray.
“Then I messed it all up at the end,” Bauman said. “I’m a little disappointed in my own play but I’m glad we won the team championship.”
Bauman finished with a 90 in the 18-hole tournament and earned the 17th-place medal.
“We set this as a goal at the beginning of the year — win the state championship,” said Kevin Barnes, Yates Center boys’ golf coach. “This has been our focus the entire year.
“It has been tough at times when we were playing on grass greens not to get discouraged. I’ve known all along what we were capable of accomplishing when we had the chance to play on the kind of putting surfaces we practice on.”
Yates Center had a team score of 346. Tipton had a four-man score of 348 for second. Lucas-Luray was third at 361, followed by Riley County at 377 and LaCross at 394.
The Wildcats were led by junior Jake Morrison with a 75 for third place. Garrett Bland won the tournament with a 71 and Brad Ellenz of St. John’s Beloit had a 74.
“It was a tough day out there with the winds blowing about 20 mph. You just had to grind it out and I kept telling myself to take it one shot at a time,” Morrison said.
“I really wanted to win the individual championship this year but winning a team championship was just as sweet. There’s no better feeling than being state champions.”
Morrison took third at last year’s tournament when the Wildcats were third as a team.
“Paul (Stockebrand) was tied with me after the first nine but he had one bad hole that dropped him down. But he played well,” Morrison said.
Junior Paul Stockebrand carded an 86 as did Dylan Herold of Lucas-Luray. Stockebrand won a playoff to earn the eighth-place medal.
Blake Francis, a sophomore, was the 19th medalist with a 95. Two freshmen also played for Yates Center in the state tournament. Tanner Sheldon shot a 130 and Mason Hartwig had a 181.
PRACTICING on sand greens all season presented problems for the Wildcats when they played regular season tournaments. Most of the tournaments are on grass greens.
“My putting is so much better on sand greens and I know the rest of our guys would agree, we just played better on the sand,” Morrison said.
“We’re all back for next year and Yates Center is hosting the state sand greens tournament next year.”
Yates Center is Kansas Sand Greens champ
