Hillsboro places 3rd at MCAA golf tournament

Putting together its best team score of the season, Hillsboro placed third at the Mid-Central Activities Association league golf tournament Friday at Lake Barton Golf Club at Great Bend.

Marion place fifth in the 10-school field.

Based on a team?s four best scores, Wichita Collegiate claimed the title with a score of 291. Hesston was 17 strokes back at 308 and Hillsboro followed at 327.

?I felt pretty good about finishing third in the league as Collegiate will most likely contend for a state championship in 3A and Hesston could very well be a contender in 4A if they play well,? Trojan coach Scott O?Hare said.

Halstead was fourth at 333, followed by Marion (347), Nickerson (349), Hoisington (360), Ellinwood (364), Sterling (382) an Lyons, who did fewer than four golfers competing.

Though his team placed near the bottom, Michael Gellerman of Sterling was the No. 1 medalist with a 69 on the par-70 course.

He edged Collegiate?s Ben Hatfield by a stroke, and two Collegiate teammates by two strokes each.

Marion?s Landon Leiker was a close fifth with a 73 and Hillsboro?s Daniel Kunantaev was right behind him at 74.

The top 10 indivduals all finished at 77 or better.

?To have all top 10 medalists under 78 shows the strength of our league in golf,? O?Hare said. ?Conditions on the day of the tournament were very conducive to scoring low, and the kids did not disappoint.?

In support of Kunantaev?s top score, the Trojans got personal-best scores from Daniel Dick (80, tied for 13th), Devin Dick (86, tied for 23rd) and Evan Just (87, tie for 25th). Jared King shot a 91 (tied for 30th)

?I have expected all along that our team could and should be scoring in the 330s on a consistent basis, but we had yet to do so all year,? O?Hare said. ?It just seemed like we could not get four guys to play well on the same day.

?Part of the problem has been that we had to rely on the same four each tournament. Now I feel like we have five that can help contribute to the team scoring, leaving a little room for someone to have a below average day.?

?A 327 is good, but I believe this group can still go lower,? he added. ?If they prove that they can on Monday at regionals, I think they have a legitimate shot at qualifying for the state tournament.?

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