Washington kept its golf season alive on the team level with a second-place finish at the Class 4 District 5 Tournament Wednesday at Meadow Lake Acres Country Club in New Bloomfield.
The top two teams and the top 15 individuals from non-qualifying teams advanced to the sectional tournament Wednesday, May 2, at Millwood Golf and Racquet Club in Ozark.
The sectional tournament is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m.
“It was a great day for the Washington golf team,” said Washington Coach Tim Buschmann. “It’s nice to get second place, which is a repeat from last year.”
Washington actually finished in a second-place tie with Rolla in the final team standings.
The Blue Jays won the tiebreaker and the right to advance as a team due to the score of their fifth-place golfer.
Washington’s Sebastian Hommes carded a round of 96, two strokes better than Rolla’s Justin Isaacson, who shot 98.
“Sebastian was first in and was proud of his round,” Buschmann said. “He told me he played very well except for one par three.”
Rock Bridge and Washington were the two teams that advanced to the sectional tournament.
Every players’ score was crucial for the Blue Jays as the second- and fourth-place teams were separated by just two strokes.
Rock Bridge won the district championship with a team score of 311. Washington finished second with 332.
Rolla placed third with 332 followed by Hickman with 334, West Plains with 345, Lebanon with 348, Camdenton with 361, Smith-Cotton with 373, Jefferson City with 382 and Waynesville with 403.
“Most of us coaches felt we were all playing for second place with Rock Bridge in the district,” Buschmann said. “They have a chance to win the state team title.”
Washington was led by Mark Stahlhuth, who tied for sixth place in the individual standings with an 18-hole round of 79, five strokes behind the leader.
Brad Carpenter tied for 10th place, carding a score of 81.
Colbey Schuster finished in 14th place with a round of 83.
Evan Scheer fired a score of 89 to tie for 24th place.
Hommes’ round of 96 landed him in a tie for 34th place.
“It was a good team effort. It was a tough course with a lot of traps and small, super fast greens. There was little room for error,” Buschmann said. “Most golfers had trouble with tee shoots getting behind trees and having to play out.”
Posting the top individual score was Rock Bridge’s William Echelmeier, who carded a 74.
Also playing for Rock Bridge were Michael Steelman with 77, Matt Echelmeier with 79, Mark Austin Evans with 80 and Jackson Dubinski with 81.
It took a score of 88 or better for players from non-qualifying teams to advance.
Golfers not from Rock Bridge or Washington who advanced to the sectional tournament with top 15 finishes were:
•Rolla’s Mark Martin with 76;
•Lebanon’s Mitch Mather with 76;
•Rolla’s Michael Steelman with 76;
•Hickman’s Matthew Garner with 79;
•Hickman’s Andrew Bair with 82;
•Smith-Cotton’s Nick Carroll with 82;
•West Plains’ Cole Butler with 84;
•West Plains’ Ben Charles with 84;
•Hickman’s Carter Cox with 85;
•Smith-Cotton’s Conner Hurley with 85;
•West Plains’ Isaac Burroughs with 86;
•Lebanon’s Aaron Shoemaker with 86;
•Rolla’s Jacob Drewniak with 87;
•Camdenton’s Andrew William Shannon with 87; and
•Hickman’s Juwan Mahaney with 88.
