Nine Washington County high school golfers closed out their seasons Tuesday during the Class C District 2 Tournament at Oakland Golf Club.
Arlington senior Eddie Rosenthal, however, is advancing on.
“Pretty excited,” he said.
The Eagle carded 80 strokes across 18 holes, qualifying for his first NSAA State Golf Championships with a sixth-place finish. Brody Rogers of Tekamah-Herman was first overall with 68 swings, while his Tigers, Yutan and North Bend Central earned team qualifications for the Class C state tourney.
Arlington and Fort Calhoun, meanwhile, finished out of the top-three with 388 and 434 strokes, respectively.
Rosenthal earns state berth
Rosenthal may be excited to compete at state, but he didn't particularly care for the district round he put together Tuesday in Oakland.
“Everything was kind of all over the place,” the AHS senior said. “I just scrambled for it.”
He took 42 swings on the front nine holes before adding just 38 to his 80 score on the back nine, finishing with a captive audience of parents, golfers and coaches watching from a hill near No. 18.
Rosenthal knew he had a shot to qualify with a top-10 performance for coach Landon Walkenhorst's team, but he wasn't focused on it alone.
“Coach kind of told me what was going on, but I didn't really know,” he said. “I was just trying to get it back around 80.”
The Eagle did and advanced, while his teammate, Josh Hamre, finished just two strokes short. The cutoff for a qualification was 84 strokes and the junior took 86. Jacob Meehan added 103 swings for AHS, while Stokely Lewis had 119 and Cade Podany carded 123.
“My irons have gotten a lot better,” Hamre said of the improvements he's made since returning to the team from injury this spring. “My long game, especially, has been very accurate. Short game, though, needs work.”
Ultimately, two bad holes kept him from moving onto the state stage.
“I think it was more mental than my skill level,” Hamre explained. “So, next year, we're going to come back and get state. We're going to come back for state.”
Rosenthal, meanwhile, will contend for a Class C medal beginning 9 a.m. Tuesday at Elks Country Club in Columbus. The second day of competition, Wednesday, starts at 9, too.
The Eagles' state qualifier said he'll spend the time between districts and state practicing for all 36 holes — his last as an Arlington student-athlete.
Boldt leads Pioneers in Oakland
Fort Calhoun's Dylan Boldt closed his Class C District 2 round on a downer Tuesday afternoon.
“Little disappointed on the last hole,” he said. “I shot a nine. Could have done better.”
Overall, though, there was plenty to be pleased with for the Pioneers' low golfer. Boldt finished with 49 strokes on the front nine holes and 46 on the back for 95 overall.
“My short game was really on point today,” he said.
The FCHS standout entered the tournament confident and his play reflected it.
“I was just in a different mindset today,” Boldt said. “Just woke up ready to play.”
In addition, Jayden Miller and Owen Miller shot identical 112s in Oakland for coach Dustin Humphrey's team. Vincent Bonacci added 115 swings to Fort Calhoun's total, too, while Beau Ruma closed out his freshman year with an 18-hole 139.
CLASS C DISTRICT 2 TOURNAMENT
Tuesday at Oakland Golf Club
Team scores: Qualifiers: Tekamah-Herman 318 strokes, Yutan 343, North Bend Central 350, West Point-Beemer 369, Logan View 370, Cedar Bluffs 370, Oakland-Craig 374, Clarkson/Leigh 385, Arlington 388, David City 389, West Point GACC 390, Fremont Bergan 414, Fort Calhoun 434, Wisner-Pilger 453, Madison NA, David City Aquinas NA.
Individual qualifiers: 1, Brody Rogers, Tekamah, 68 strokes. 2, Jaylin Jakub, Aquinas, 76. 3, Bret Brenneis, Tekamah, 79. 4, Owen Anderson, Oakland, 79. 5, Landon Mimick, North Bend, 80. 6, Eddie Rosenthal, Arlington, 80. 7, Jude Elgert, Yutan, 83. 8, Griffen Breckenridge, Tekamah, 83. 9, Josh Egbers, Logan View, 84. 10, Tannen Honke, Yutan, 84. 11, Ryan Hrbek, GACC, 84.
Arlington results: Rosenthal, 80 strokes; Josh Hamre, 86; Jacob Meehan, 103; Stokely Lewis, 119; Cade Podany, 123.
Fort Calhoun results: Dylan Boldt, 95 strokes; Jayden Miller, 112; Owen Miller, 112; Vincent Bonacci, 115; Beau Ruma, 139.
