Area golfers ready for state

May 12, 2008 12:11 am

— From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
Twenty-seven area golfers are scheduled to open high school boys golf state tournament action today at Springfield-area courses.
Carl Junction is the lone team entry from the Big 8 and Southwest Conferences. The Bulldogs’ 325 district tournament winning score on a windy day at Briarbrook Golf and Country Club ranks fifth among the eight Class 3 district winners.
More than half of the area entries are in the Class 3 tournament at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield.
Cassville’s Taylor Vanzandt and Nevada’s Tyler Gast, both juniors, earned all-state honors in 2007. Vanzandt tied for 16th place with a 151, and Gast tied for 20th at 152.
Adam Mertens, a senior at Carl Junction, just missed all-state recognition last season, shooting 153 to tie for 24th place. Joining him at state this year are teammates Jordan Burks, Reilly Hughes, Josh Davis and Chris Moudy.
The Class 3 field also includes Andrew Maier and Adam Williams of Webb City, district medalist Erin Campbell, Brady Bridges and Trevor Freeman of Carthage and Zach Braucher and Brandon Davis of Nevada.
Cody Bjorklund, a senior at College Heights Christian School, tied for 29th place a year ago in the Class 1 tournament.
He returns to this year’s state meet at Silo Ridge Golf and Country Club in Bolivar. Also entered are the Cougars’ Chris Yuhas and Nathan Dudley, McAuley Catholic’s Taylor Hannon and Austin Metts and Thomas Jefferson’s Jordan Leiter and Daniel Bulgarelli.
The Class 2 tournament is at Deer Lake Golf Course in Springfield and includes Tim Enayati of Diamond, Mike Sloan of Pierce City and Dakota Brown, Weston Newell and Jackson Tettenhorst, all of Mount Vernon.
Neosho’s Zak Tucker and Kendall Chalmers are entered in the Class 4 Tournament at Island Green Golf Course in Republic.
Tee times start at 8 a.m. at all four courses. The final round of the 36-hole event will be played Tuesday.

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