May 10, 2024

Cardinals finish fifth at sectionals, Pritchard advances to districts

Newton boys take eighth at LHC golf tournament

By Troy Hyde

Newton junior Kinnick Pritchard advanced to the district tournament after shooting an 80 at sectionals in Williamsburg on Wednesday. (Troy Hyde/Newton News)

WILLIAMSBURG — Kinnick Pritchard was one of four golfers to shoot an 80 on Wednesday during a Class 3A sectional tournament at Stone Creek Golf Club.

It was good enough to advance to Monday’s district tournament, but the season ended for the rest of the Newton boys’ golf team.

Knoxville cruised to the sectional championship with a 308. Evan Smith was the meet medalist with 2-under-par 70 at the par 72 nine-hole golf course.

Host Williamsburg (322) and Grinnell (329) also advanced to the district tournament. The rest of the eight-team field included Davis County (371), Newton (380), Maquoketa (384) South Tama County (389) and Centerville (399).

Newton sophomore Peyton Rozendaal putts on the No. 9 hole at Stone Creek Golf Club in Williamsburg on Wednesday. The Cardinals competed in the Class 3A sectional tournament and Rozendaal shot a 98. (Troy Hyde/Newton News)

The top two teams at each sectional advance to districts, but a third team moves on if the host school finishes in the top two.

Individually, the top two golfers not on a district qualifying team also advance. The golfers played the white tees on the front nine and the black tees on the back.

Pritchard was ninth overall with his 80. South Tama’s Kaden Kopsa finished fourth with a 78 as the other individual district qualifier.

Williamsburg’s Crew Klingner was the runner-up medalist with a 76. Six golfers shot better than 80 and five more were lower than 90.

Peyton Rozendaal shot a 98 and Ethan Pageler carded a 99 for the Cardinals. The final counting score of 103 was turned in by Lincoln Peterson.

Lane Rozendaal (104) and Colin Cummins (113) had non-counting scores.

Newton junior Colin Cummins hits out of the bunker on the No. 9 hole at Stone Creek Golf Club on Wednesday. (Troy Hyde/Newton News)

Newton boys finish eighth at LHC tournament

OSKALOOSA — Newton battled a loaded field during the Little Hawkeye Conference tournament on Monday.

The Cardinals, led by Pritchard and Peterson, competed at the par 70 Edmundson Golf Course and finished eighth in the eight-team field.

“Those 4A schools are pretty loaded,” Newton head boys golf coach Pat Riley said. “We are improving as a whole. Many of the kids are not happy when they shoot 100 and that was not the case early on.”

Pritchard had identical 42s for his nine-hole splits and the Cardinal junior led Newton with an 84.

Peterson’s career-best 91 was next and the other two counting scorers were Peyton Rozendaal and Lane Rozendaal. They turned in a 95 and 99, respectively.

Pageler (100) and Cummins (105) had non-counting scores.

Newton sophomore Lincoln Peterson had the final counting score for the Cardinals during the Class 3A sectional tournament at Williamsburg on Wednesday. The season ended for most of the Newton boys' golf team after the Cardinals placed fifth as a team. (Troy Hyde/Newton News)

Indianola won the conference tournament championship with a 294. Prestin Billy led the Indians and was the meet medalist with a 70.

Indianola placed its top three individuals in the first four positions and runner-up Norwalk (303) had spots 6-7-10-12-13.

Noah Moberg’s runner-up 70 helped Dallas Center-Grimes (309) edge Pella Christian (310) for third and the rest of the top five included Oskaloosa (315).

Pella (325), Grinnell (333) and Newton (369) rounded out the eight teams.

“Next year, that expectation goes to not being happy in the 90s, then 80s and so on,” Riley said. “We could be pretty solid in a year or two. Need a lot improvement before next year for this expectation to happen.”