May 02, 2008 12:45 am
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By Jim Henry
jhenry@joplinglobe.com
CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — The last five or six years, Carl Junction’s golf team has basically grown up together at Briarbrook Golf and Country Club.
“We knew we’d be in this situation sometime,” the Bulldogs’ Adam Mertens said. “We knew when we had the chance, we had to take advantage of it.”
The Bulldogs posted five scores in the low 80s — 80 by Jordan Burks, 81 by Chris Mouty, 82s by Mertens and Reilly Hughes and 83 by Josh Davis — and captured the team championship in the Class 3 District 6 tournament on Thursday at Briarbrook.
“It’s amazing to go out and shoot that consistent across the board,” Carl Junction coach Ryan Jones said. “Most of these kids grew up together out here and have been waiting for this day. For them to go out and shoot an acceptable number is a rewarding experience.”
The Bulldogs, earning their first district team title since 2000, posted a four-man total of 325 and finished six shots ahead of Nevada and Carthage. Nevada, based on a better fifth score, won the second-place plaque.
Republic took fourth with 342, followed by Cassville 351, Webb City 359, Seneca 374, Monett 375, McDonald County 398 and Aurora 420.
Strong winds sent scores skyward. Carthage senior Erin Campbell and Nevada junior Tyler Gast shot 75 and 76, respectively, and were the only players to break 80.
“It was really windy,” Campbell said. “It’s probably about a one- or two-club wind. I didn’t mind the wind. I knew everybody else probably wouldn’t like it very much. I used that to my advantage.”
“It was unbelievable ... sometimes it was close to a 3-club wind,” Gast said. “It was probably a 2. Every tournament except for one we’ve played in, there has been wind, so I’m getting used to it.”
“We knew today with the wind, Mother Nature wasn’t going to let us shoot a great number,” Jones said. “I’m pleased with how our kids competed and stayed patient. On a day like today you can let yourself get pretty frustrated, but our kids kept grinding and getting pars as much as they could.”
“We all played decent golf,” Mertens said. “We thought we had to have four in the 70s, but with the wind, we focused on high 70s, low 80s.”
Campbell had three birdies and six bogeys during his round of 39-36. He also shot 75 in Tuesday’s Southwest Conference tournament on the same course.
“I just made sure I focused on each shot and made putts,” Campbell said. “I pretty much made every putt I looked at.”
Gast’s play around the greens was instrumental in his 38-38 round. He carded three birdies, five bogeys and one double bogey.
“I got up and down quite a bit, and that’s probably the reason I shot what I shot,” Gast said. “I knew it would take mid-80s to make the cut. I was happy I started making putts and getting up and down.”
An 86 was the cut score for individual state tournament entries.
Also qualifying for the state meet later this month at Rivercut in Springfield were Webb City’s Andrew Maier (83) and Adam Williams (85), Carthage’s Brady Bridges (82) and Trevor Freeman (85), Nevada’s Zach Braucher (82) and Brandon Davis (86), Cassville’s Taylor Vanzandt (86) and Republic’s Kyle Knierim (82) and Mike Wilson (83).
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