BEATRICE-Only the top three teams out the 12 in action at the Beatrice Country Club were going to be in Scottsbluff next week for the Class B State Championships.
Add to the stress two stoppages in play for lightning and the pressure mounted when all the teams had to play the waiting game.
When the teams completed their final shots, Norris, York and Minden had punched their tickets to the Scottsbluff Country Club next Tuesday and Wednesday.
"The guys really battled well today in a high stress environment on a tough course in difficult weather conditions. We had two stoppages of play due to lightning and it really made it a long day,” said York head coach Dan Malleck. “When only three of the 12 teams advance to state it really puts a lot of pressure on each shot.
York has never missed a year at state since 2011 with the exception of 2019 when the entire spring sports season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Dukes have also finished as district champion or runner-up the last eight years.
People are also reading…
The Dukes were led by sophomore Emmanuel Jensen who carded 79, with a 38 on the front side and a 41 on the backside. The 79 earned Jensen a sixth place finish.
Junior Ryan Seevers fired an 82 and finished 10th.
The rest of York’s scoring was Marley Jensen with an 86 and Elijah Jensen who finished with an 87. Senior Joel Jensen turned in a 94 that did not figure in York team scoring.
The individual champion was hometown golfer Treyton Baehr of Beatrice with a 75. He defeated Norris senior Brock Rowley in a playoff as both fired 18-hole scores of 75.
“We didn't have our best stuff today which really increased that pressure,” Malleck added. “This marks the eighth year in a row that the guys have finished as either district champions or runner-up and I'm very happy for the seniors especially that they get to experience the state championship."
York will travel to Scottsbluff over the weekend and get some practice in before the championship rounds get underway Tuesday, May 24.
The Dukes finished fifth in the team race last year at Elks Country Club outside Columbus. Seevers had a top 10 effort, tied for ninth.
B-3 District Golf Team scores-1.Norris 313, 2.York 334, 3.Minden 349, 4.Beatrice 350, 5.Aurora 359, 6.Wahoo 388, 7.Waverly 389, 8.Northwest 394, 9.Crete 396, 10.Seward 397, 11.Adams Central 405, 12.Hastings 418