Class A state golf tournament up for grabs

Heading into the Class A state boys’ golf tournament today and Tuesday at Madison Country Club, Chamberlain coach Rick Hargens said this year’s tournament might be different than the last couple.

This year, the title might just be up for grabs.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Hargens said. “In the past couple years you’d go and kind of know who the favorites were going to be, but this year, I don’t think there is a clear cut favorite. Whoever has a good two days could come out on top.”

Chamberlain and Winner, who enter with the second and fourth best qualifying scores, respectively, could both be in the group of frontrunners. Those qualifying scores depended in large part on which course the region meets were played at, but both the Cubs and the Warriors will be led by individuals who also could be in the hunt for an individual title.

Chamberlain will be led Coleman Caldwell, still just a frehsman who finished third last year, and should be one of the top favorites for a title this year. His 75 at the region meet was five strokes better than anybody else in the state, which happened to be Winner’s Kyle Higgins.

“If he plays well and putts well he’ll do just fine,” Hargens said. “I expect a good tournament from him.”

Caldwell helped lead Chamberlain to a fourth-place finish last year, and Hargens hopes the Cubs can finish in the top 6 again this year. Also golfing for Chamberlain will be Lane Shroyer, Colton Powers, Donovan Carson and Neil Viereck.

“I have three freshman and two seniors, and they all shoot about the same scores — all around 85 to 92,” Hargens said. “If I can get Coleman to shoot in the 70s and those three can shoot in 80s, we have a good shot to finish in the top six.”

Winner finished 12th at last year’s state tournament, and if Higgins’ can find himself near the top of the leaderboard as well — he was 29th last year — Winner coach Randy Kludt hopes his team can move up at least a few spots. Also golfing for Winner will be Anthony Husher, who had the ninth best regional qualifying score (83), Chad Kolecka, Justin Vanneman and Jon Hughes.

Wagner enters the tournament with the seventh best regional score. Golfing for the Red Raiders will be Brady Cuka, Jonathon Cuka, Branson Tolliver, Spencer Peters and Jon Bouza.

Mitchell Christian, which finished fourth in its region, technically did not qualify as a team, but because it had four individuals qualify, the Eagles will still be able to golf as a team. Golfing for the Eagles will be Adam Bleeker, Cody Thomsen, Wes Vanderpol and Jackson Feiner.

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