Newton boys finish third, advance to districts

KNOXVILLE — The Newton boys golf team shot 329 on Wednesday. That’s tied for its sixth-best 18-hole score of the season.

But it also was good enough to advance to the next round as the Cardinals placed third at a Class 3A sectional tournament at Pine Knolls Golf Club.

“We did not play great but played well enough to get in,” Newton head boys golf coach Pat Riley said.

The top three finishing teams and the top two individuals, including ties, not on a qualifying team at sectionals advance to districts.

Newton’s 329 was three strokes better than fourth-place Chariton (332). Pella won the sectional championship with a 302 and Knoxville carded a 304 in second.

The rest of the eight-team field featured Oskaloosa (340), Carlisle (350), Fairfield (355) and Centerville (396).

Jackson Price led the Cardinals in sixth. He shot a 7-over-par 77 and Mason Smith (83), Lincoln Peterson (84) and Peyton Rozendaal (85) had the other counting scores.

Carter Forst (88) and Lane Rozendaal (91) turned in non-counting scores.

“We still need work on mid-range pitch shots,” Riley said. “We have to know the course, too. Some greens will hold those shots but others bounce hard and roll over the green. We are peaking at the right time so hopefully we hit our max performance of the year (at districts). All we hoped for was a shot, and we got it.”

Pella’s Kyler Besick was the meet medalist with an even par 70. Knoxville’s Grant Gerdes was the runner-up with a 74.

Pella put its top five in the first 11 positions and Knoxville went 2-3-4-10.

Chariton’s Kenton Jensen (77) and Carlisle’s Jack Norton (81) advanced to districts as individuals.

The district tournament will take place at Waverly Municipal Golf Course at 10 a.m. on Monday in Waverly.