With a Big Seven League title under their belt, the Bluejay golf team set their sights on the next rung on the ladder of success with the Regional Golf tournament on Tuesday, May 16, in Sabetha. The meet was originally scheduled for Monday, May 15, but mother nature gave us a month’s worth of moisture in just a matter of days, so the course was wet, but it was a condition that every player had to contend with. The Jays used their home-course advantage to come away with a Regional Championship as a team and a berth to the State tournament.

“Conditions were very wet, but the weather was really nice,” said Head Coach Scott Burger. “It was a close battle throughout the day as Nemaha Central, Rossville and Sabetha were right together after the first round. Our second nine as a team was better than our first and our competition did not match their scores. It allowed us to win by 10 strokes.”

Junior Cullen Wikle took the helm and was the driving force in the Regional Tournament when he earned a second-place finish on the day. Wikle shot a 42 on the first nine holes and 37 on the back nine to finish with a score of 79, which was just two strokes out of first place. Sophomore Roman Scoby finished the back nine better than the front nine holes to earn a fifth-place finish with a score of 81.

Junior Cole Grimes finished his round of play in the tournament to put him in a two-way tie for seventh, and junior Dalton Rokey grabbed ninth place overall and finished in the fourth position for his team. The previously mentioned scores combined for a number-one finishing, four-man team score of 329 to give them a 10-stroke advantage over the next closest team and a championship.

Sophomore Caleb Renyer finished in tie for 14th and junior Tyler Rokey tied for 16th place overall in a field of 45 participants at the event.

“As in the past, the best part of the 2023 SHS Golf Team is their mental toughness, being able to not let bad holes affect their round. They have played well all year and I’m excited about State at Dodge City. The course out there is long and tough and will be a great challenge,” Coach Burger said.

The Bluejays traveled to Dodge City to compete in the State tournament on Monday, May 22, and Tuesday, May 23, at the Mariah Hills Golf Course. The Bluejays finished day one in second place, which qualified them for day two. The results from day two were not available at The Herald’s press time. See next week’s Herald for the full results from State.

State Golf Meet Day 1 Results
Roman Scoby      5th place  76 +5
Cullen Wikle        7-way tie for 6th  79  +8
Dalton Rokey       4-way tie for 8th  81  +10
Cole Grimes         4-way tie for 12th  85  +14
Caleb Renyer       6-way tie for 14th  87  +16
Tyler Menold       2-way tie for 20th 93 +22
After the first day of State golf action, on Monday, May 22, in Dodge City, the Bluejay crew ended the day with a second place finish overall, just 11 strokes behind Olathe-Heritage Christian Academy. This performance qualified the team to advance to day two on Tuesday, May 23. Results from day two were not available at The Herald’s press time. View the full results and the final scores of the State Golf Tournament in next week’s addition of The Herald.