'Just one of those days:' Wynford golf season ends at districts
BOWLING GREEN - Wynford senior Micah Greene was disappointed after Thursday's Division III district golf tournament at Stone Ridge.
"It got to me," Greene said about finishing his final round. "Playing all four years and then struggling your senior year, that's tough."
He hasn't been the only one in a slump. The team saw the Northern 10 slip out of its hands the final week of the season and at the tournament, but quickly put it behind last week firing a 356 to win sectionals.
It seemed as though Wynford might've turned things around just in time to qualify for state. Unfortunately, the course, and weather, got the best of the Royals. Their 370 placed them 12th out of 18 teams.
Minster won with a 322, Ottoville second at 333, Delphos St. John's and Wayne Trace third and fourth with 338s. All advance to state, along with Kalida's Robert Nartker (71), Jefferson's Isaac Gallmeier (74), Leipsic's Brevin Brandt (75) and Marion Local's Marcus Rethman (76).
"We struggled a bit as a team," Wynford coach Michael Powers said. "The weather we're getting, we were kind of hoping to post a solid score like we had at sectionals and give us a chance, especially with this rain and wind coming in here. Unfortunately that didn't happen, it's just one of those days.
"But in the end it was just great to get here again and give us a chance."
Greene shot 91 in his final round, while juniors Weston Prenger, Dawson Pelter, Briar Ridge and Drew Johnson carded 87, 94, 98, 106 respectively.
"It's tough because we're a pretty young team, but I'm the senior," Greene said. "We won sectionals and we really came back out of a slump. We should have won (the league), so winning sectionals was big for us. That's the first time in school history, so that (means) a lot.
"Coming in the districts I felt like we had a good shot, we just didn't perform how we wanted to."
The Royals returned all but one district qualifier from last year, and that'll be the case again next year with Greene the lone senior.
"Losing Micah is going to hurt a lot, but we have the rest of the guys coming back and a good eighth grade class coming in as well," Powers said. "Just another year of experience and you just get hungrier and hungrier to get to state the more we get here.
"We just want to be one of those teams that when you look at the district leaderboard, you see Wynford."
Greene has been a constant in the Wynford program and he played a key role in its revival.
"I went through the system, I was the first one to make it through all of middle school to senior year," Greene said. "I'm just so (grateful for) Michael Powers and (Michael) Striker helping and doing all this for us.
"I think we have a lot of good things to come."
Plymouth's Canaan Slone was the lone area individual qualifier, and he shot 94 to tie for 68th.
Galion, Shelby come up just short at Eagle's Landing
The Northwest Division II district is always one of the most competitive in the state. Thursday was no different with Ottawa Hills winning at 314 and Archbold second with the same score, but the Green Bears won the fifth-score tiebreaker.
Shelby, after shooting 309 at sectionals, and Galion finished the day third and fourth, respectively, but both missed out on advancing to state.
The senior-laden Whippets shot 325, led by Ty Keinath's 76. Will Magers carded an 82, sectional medalist Ashton Hoffbauer an 82, Toby Randall 87 and junior Blake West 96.
Galion saw its remarkable stretch of six consecutive state appearances come to an end, shooting 337. Senior Logan Keller fired a 78 in his final round, junior Nate McMullen a 79, juniors Carson Walker and Jack Rinehart 85 and 95, and freshman Parker Tinch 96.
Keinath, Keller and Clear Fork sophomore Landon Ball (75) missed out on individual qualifying spots, which were taken by Upper Sandusky's Brock Montgomery (70) and Bryan's Noah Huard (74).
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This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Wynford, Shelby, Galion bow out of golf postseason in districts
