The Gallatin Bulldogs, led by a score of 152 by the 2018 state champion Jett Simmons, have won the Class 1 boy’s golf championship, with a two-day score of 696 at the two-day event in Springfield. In comparison to Monday’s opening round, Simmons struggled in the second go-around on the 18 hole course, but an 81 was just good enough for Simmons to hold off the runner-up score of 153 by Presten Richardson of Miller High School, and 154 of Galena’s Adam Cunningham, to take the state gold.
Simmons shot 71 on Monday, but was 10 strokes worse on Tuesday, shooting an 81, while Richardson had the best score of the day, at 75. As a team, Gallatin lost six strokes to Westran in Tuesday’s play, but the Bulldogs snagged the state championship with a two-day mark of 696, four strokes ahead of Westran’s 700. Mid-Buchanan finished in 7th place at 776.
Other scores from the Class 1 state tournament were Marceline’s Jeffrey Hamilton at 166, Marceline’s Rylan Chrisman at 170, Stanberry’s Mitchell Carroll at 177, Gallatin’s Gabe Cole at 177, Gallatin’s Logan Burns at 181, Marceline’s Colby Sims at 182, Maysville’s Austin Sweiger at 186, Gallatin’s Haden Bradford at 188, Gallatin’s Colin Beck at 190, Worth County’s Ryan McClellan at 191, and King City’s Collin Breckenridge at 197.
Trenton High School golf history was achieved at the Class 2 state tournament by Bulldog senior Lathan Croy. Despite seeing his second-day score at the event in New Bloomfield drop by seven strokes (from 75 to 82), Croy achieved medal status for the second consecutive year, a first for the THS boys golf program. Croy’s two-day total of 157 tied him with Maryville’s Matthew Madden for sixth place. Croy’s sixth place finish is the highest by a THS boys golfer since Chester Clark was the state runner-up 80 years ago (1938).
The Bishop LeBlond Golden Eagles dominated the competition at state, stampeding to a Class 2 team championship (team score of 599), with Brooks Jungbluth, courtesy of a blistering Tuesday round of 66, and a two-day total of 137, taking the individual state title. Hank Lierz of LeBlond finished second at 140, with LeBlond’s Jeffrey Johnston, at 148, finishing third.
South Harrison sent its team to the Class 2 state tournament, and finished tied for 7th place at 729. Christian High School, at 665, was second, with Palmyra’s score of 696 good for third place.
Penney High School’s Ethan Green grabbed a medal, finishing in a 15th place tie at 163. Other area scores included Lawson’s Jack Evans at 173, South Harrison’s Austin Lasher at 173, South Harrison’s Koltyn Smith at 182, South Harrison’s Grant Taylor at 184, Plattsburg’s Garrett Stephens at 188, South Harrison’s Cole Taylor at 190, and Penney’s Nicholas Wyckoff at 194.
In Class 3, Chillicothe High School senior Hayden Montgomery finished with a two-day total of 174 (in Camdenton), good for 69th place in the 92 golfer event. Priory High School of St. Louis swept both the team and individual competitions in Class 3, winning the team state title by 10 strokes over Helias.
