Playing on its home course, Newton’s boys golf team finished five shots out of second place at the Little Hawkeye Conference tournament on Monday.
Ethan Walker was the runner-up medalist and Lincoln Ergenbright also earned all-conference honors as the Cardinals finished tied with Grinnell for fourth with a 343 at the par 71 Westwood Golf Course.
Newton ended up fifth in the team standings because Grinnell had a better fifth score.
“I thought we played well today,” Newton boys golf coach Pat Riley said. “We were five shots out of second place as a team and only stroke below the third-place team.”
Class 4A Indianola put its top three golfers in the top six and won the team championship with a 315. Oskaloosa was the runner-up with a 338 and 4A Norwalk finished third with a 342.
Dallas Center-Grimes (344) and Pella (344) were one shot back of Newton and Grinnell and Pella Christian (372) finalized the eight-team field.
Walker shot a 4-over-par 75 to finish second overall. Pella’s Will Simpson was the meet medalist with a 2-under-par 69.
Walker was 1-under-par and led Simpson by one stroke after nine holes, but Simpson rallied with a 2-under-par back nine.
Ergenbright shot an 81 to finish tied for seventh. The top 12 finishers earned all-conference honors.
Kinnick Pritchard and Brody Cazett had the other counting scores with a 91 and 96, respectively. Derek Lanser (97) and Braydon Chance (105) had non-counting scores.
“We are right there,” Riley said. “We just need to clean up a few bad holes.”