The course at Briarwood Golf Club played a lot tougher in the final round of the boys’ Class 4A state golf meet.
It resulted in higher scores for just about every team, including Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial.
The 15th-ranked Hawks shot a 323 on Tuesday and finished with a 36-hole total of 626. They placed eighth in the 12-team field after sitting in third following Monday’s opening round.
“They had a lot of tight pin placements and the greens were hard so not holding and more wind, which made play tough,” said Ankeny coach Mike Weddingfeld. “We have been riding that rollercoaster that happens in golf. We were on a high the last few weeks with placing well at conference, winning our district and playing a great first round at state, but unfortunately we came back down today on day two and shot our worst team score of the season.”
No. 12 Ankeny Centennial, meanwhile, finished three strokes behind its crosstown rival in ninth place. The Jaguars shot a 319 on Tuesday for a 629 total.
“It was cool and quite a bit windier than Monday so the scores were all quite a bit higher,” said Centennial coach Andrew Reedy. “I want to thank Briarwood for hosting the event. The course was in fantastic shape. Their new superintendent, Ben Roos, has done an incredible job this season and I am happy he got the chance to showcase the course at a state Tournament. John Dinnebier, Chad Callan and the rest of the staff were great also. It is a big event with lots of spectators–all wanting carts, food and drink. They did a nice job.
“All the support we had from our JV players, Centennial students, members of Briarwood and especially parents or other family members of our players was amazing. It truly felt like a home meet for our kids,” he added.
Duncan Beelner led the way for Ankeny. He carded a 78 on Tuesday for a two-day total of 152, allowing him to tie Waukee freshman Jonathan Ward for 12th place.
“I felt like I played ok,” said Beelner. “I definitely left some shots out there today, but the course was playing super difficult. We did have a rough day today, but I couldn’t be more proud of this team and how we played this year.”
Beelner’s lone birdie on Tuesday came on the par-5, No. 12 hole, which he birdied for the second straight day. He had a double bogey on No. 9 and five bogeys.
“Duncan played well all day, but I know he wishes he could get a couple shots back to improve his score,” Weddingfeld said.
Weddingfeld’s son, Caden, shot an 80 in the final round for a 154 total. He tied for 18th place with two others.
“I think on Monday we went out with nothing to lose and just played our game, but after being in third place the guys really wanted to finish high and that extra pressure may have gotten to us today,” Weddingfeld said. “We seemed to have a lot more errant shots today, which led to penalties and the front nine kind of beat some of the guys up. Caden was 7-over on the front nine, but he played great on the back by making a couple birdies and shooting 1-over.
“Duncan and Caden have a lot to be proud of. They were awesome team leaders all season and really played some consistent golf for their team. I know they both had expectations to finish higher, but I could not be more proud of them and how hard they worked over the last four years to get to this point,” he added.
Ankeny’s Gavin Ross fired a 79 on Tuesday and finished with a 157 total. He was part of a seven-way tie for 27th place that also included Centennial’s McCoy Miller and Charlie Morrissey.
“I was really proud of Gavin this weekend as he stepped up and shot two solid rounds,” Weddingfeld said. “He also struggled on the front today, but came back to shoot even-par on the back.”
Morrissey closed out his career with an 80. For the second day in a row, he birdied No. 12 after having a double bogey on the previous hole.
Another senior, Nathan Boehlert, fired an 82 and tied for 43rd at 161.
“Nathan and Charlie played their final events as Jaguar golfers and I know they both wanted to play better at their home course, but I am really proud of them for their improvement over the last two years,” Reedy said. “They both worked really hard all summer and the fruits of their labor showed, as Nathan lowered his season scoring average by 3.64 strokes from last year and Charlie lowered his by 2.0 strokes.”
Miller carded a 76 on Tuesday after opening with an 81. He was one of 25 players in the 80-man field to improve their score from Monday.
“The conditions were definitely tougher today,” said Miller. “I left a few strokes out on the course, but overall I am happy with how I played. There were no major adjustments in how I played, but it was more about handling my nerves a little better than I did on day one. I had a round under my belt already, and I was able to just get into my round and focus on hitting quality shots.”
Miller made back-to-back birdies on Nos. 3 and 4 after making a bogey and a triple bogey on those two holes Monday.
“McCoy played really well on day two,” Reedy said. “He is a kid that is really motivated to get better, and I know he will work hard to do so this offseason. McCoy had a great season. He lowered his season scoring average by over six strokes and he shot under par three times at three different courses. He had goals for his state tournament, and he fell short of them. But he stayed until all the awards were passed out and all the celebrations were winding down. It was clear he was soaking in the motivation from that.”
Centennial’s Jackson Lewis shot an 84 on Tuesday and tied for 36th with a 159 total. Jett Lovanh had an 81 and tied for 40th at 160, and Tiernan Logan had an 84 and tied for 64th at 167.
“As a team, I am really proud of what all we did this year,” Miller said. “We really wanted to send the seniors off on a high note and make a run at the title, but were unable to do that. We are all a little disappointed, but we did accomplish a lot as a team and that’s something we are all proud of.”
Ankeny’s Ryan Constable carded an 87 on Tuesday and tied for 53rd with a 164 total. Sam Ortega shot an 86 and Evan Hodapp had an 89, putting them in a three-way tie with Indianola’s Jackson Buchanan for 68th with a 168 total.
“Those guys battled, but they just had higher scores than usual,” Weddingfeld said. “But I am proud of everyone on the team and hope that they all enjoyed the experience. For Sam, Ryan and Gavin it was their first state tournament appearance, and for Caden, Duncan and Evan it was their last so it was a bittersweet couple of days. Last week we were just happy to make it to state and win our district, but it is tough to drop from third to eighth place from day one. State golf is a great experience and I am glad the boys got to be part of that experience. There are a lot of teams out there that didn’t get that chance.
“I wish all the seniors the best and look forward to coaching the rest of the team again next fall,” he added.
No. 2 Johnston captured its second state title in three years. The Dragons shot a 309 on Tuesday and posted a 607 total to finish five strokes ahead of No. 4 Dubuque Wahlert.
Cedar Falls’ Anthony Galvin won a two-hole playoff against Johnston’s Andrew Johannsen to earn medalist honors. They both finished at even-par 144.
