The Kickapoo Chiefs edged the Glendale Falcons, 302-304, to grab this year’s MSU Relays championship at the Bill and Payne Stewart Golf Course on Monday. Twenty-two schools competed in the event, one of the most prestigious prep golf tournaments of the year.
“This is always a great tournament with a lot of history behind it,” said MSU Relays tournament director Neal Stafford. “It combines the Springfield community schools with some of the area schools. Everybody seems to have a lot of fun and the competition level is very good.”
Kickapoo head coach Ron Yocum agreed.
“This was a great tournament, and the scores reflect just how competitive it really was,” said Yocum. “Only three shots separated the top four teams.”
Both the Lebanon Yellowjackets and Logan-Rogersville Wildcats came in at 305. The Cats, by virtue of a tie breaker, were awarded third place with the Yellowjackets finishing fourth.
“For us, a 302 was phenomenal. Earlier this week we carded a 314 at Silo Ridge in Bolivar so I’m very proud of our kids efforts,” said Yocum. “Winning today’s MSU Relays was really big and it’s fabulous to see all the hard work they’ve put in this year beginning to pay off.”
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In posting the 302 total score, all five members on the Kickapoo squad carded scores in the 70’s.
Kickapoo’s Gaige Lewis and Caleb Wiggins, both with 74’s, led the Chiefs effort. They were joined by Owen Jump with a 76. Registering rounds of 78 were Brady Powers and Ty Wendel.
“I feel like I could have played a little bit better today,” said Lewis in discussing his 74. “But I’m really happy for our team that we got the ‘W,’ he said. “It’s a great burst of momentum for us as we head into next week.”
For the Glendale Falcons, the MSU Relays was their first tournament of the season. Despite finishing second head coach Zach Rothgeb was more than pleased with the performance of his kids.
“I was really happy with our kids play today. As with Kickapoo all five of them posted scores in the 70’s,” he said. “We have a great group of kids this year and I think they handled themselves very well today.”
Pacing the Falcon effort was Max Bowman with a 74. Also contributing were Hudson Feurerbacher (75), Matthew Barnes (77), Travis Peak (78) and Drew Russell (79).
“We played really great today. For us all to score in the 70’s is something we don’t often do,” said Bowman. “As for me my day was kind of up and down. I could have hit a few more fairways and putted a little better, but other than that I feel like I played pretty well.”
Leading the way for third place Logan-Rogersville was Tyler Davis with a 73. Joining Davis were Ben Roche (74), Bryce Marshall (78), Stewart McDonald (80) and Cole Goff (81).
Ethan Mustard and Titan Henry, both with 73’s, topped fourth place Lebanon’s effort. Also carding good scores for the Yellow jackets were Kory Hough- 78, Drew Bowling- 81 and Canon Roark- 83.
Top medalist honors went to Monett’s Jaxon Bailey. Bailey, tied with four other linksters with a 73 following his opening 18-hole round, won the coveted title on the fourth hole of a playoff.
MSU Top 10
1. Kickapoo- 302
2. Glendale- 304
3. Logan-Rogersville- 305
4. Lebanon- 305
5. Rolla- 311
6. Monett- 312
7. West Plains- 316
8. Willard- 325
9. Republic- 325
10. Kickapoo JV’s- 329
Top Medalists:
1. Jaxon Bailey- Monett – 73 Top Medalist by playoff
2. Ethan Mustard – Lebanon – 73
3. Jonathan Jordan- Rolla – 73
4. Titan Henry – Lebanon – 73 –
5. Tyler Davis – Logan-Rogersville – 73
6. Ben Roche – Logan-Rogersville- 74
7. Caleb Wiggins – Kickapoo – 74
8. Gaige Lewis – Kickapoo – 74
9. Max Bowman – Glendale – 74
10. Cason Bekenmeier – Republic – 75
