Hilltopper golfers finish third in D-SC conference tourney
By Cara L. Dempski
GLENWOOD CITY — Hilltopper head golf coach Tristan Kittilson put his answer simply when asked about the 2017 Dunn-St. Croix conference tournament hosted by Glenwood City on its home course at Glen Hills last Tuesday, May 16.
“It was an interesting day, but we got it done,” Kittilson said after the conclusion of the six-team, 18-hole tourney.
The Hilltoppers got it done indeed, with a third-place team finish – taking 377 strokes to finish behind team winner Spring Valley and second-place Mondovi – and junior Collin Schone earned a spot on the first team all-conference squad.
Overall, Glenwood City finished fourth in the final conference golf standings with 31 points. Points were awarded based on the finish at each of the previous eight conference meets (first receives six points, fifth get five and so forth with the points doubled in the conference tournament). Spring Valley won the D-SC tournament with a low tally of 336 and claimed the overall conference championship with 58 points thanks to six wins in the previous eight conference meets.
The Redbirds also had the individual medalist as Tyler Leach shot a two-under par 70 to win the conference tournament and overall individual championship for a second straight year with 100 total points (based on finish at each conference meet).
Mondovi, last year’s team titlist, took second in the overall standings shooting a 272. Mondovi nipped Durand, who had entered the tournament in second, by a point 45 to 44 in the final point standings.
The Panthers tallied a 383 to take fourth behind host and third-place finisher Glenwood City who accumulated a 377. Glenwood City tallied 31 points in the final overall standings.
Elk Mound and Colfax finished fifth and sixth respectively in both the conference tournament and final standings.
It was, indeed, an interesting day. The round was initially cut to just nine holes and postponed from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. due to rainy, stormy conditions. Then, the first groups had just taken their first shots off the first and sixth tees when the skies opened up one more time, sending everyone scurrying to secure equipment and then shelter in the club house.
When the first nine holes finally got going, it was with rapidly clearing skies and enough of a breeze that the course had dried sufficiently by 1:45 p.m. for the coaches to decide the teams would be able to play a full 18 holes after all.
Schone, who finished the course in 87 strokes to take seventh as an individual, birdied on the fourth hole during his first trip around the course, and played par the seventh and eighth for 40 strokes on the first nine. He completed his round with 47 strokes on his second trip around after playing par on the third, fourth, and eighth.
Will Owen saw two good rounds, starting with 48 on the first nine and swinging for 41 in the second. He birdied on the second on his second trip around the course.
Dillon Hierlmeier played 46 on his first nine holes and 54 on his second to take an even 100 strokes for the day, Emma Scholler played 18 holes in 101 strokes after finishing the first nine in 51 and the second in 50, and Ethan Hanson scored 102 strokes, splitting his score into 49 for the front nine and 53 in the back.
Kittilson said his team was looking forward to playing 18 holes in the WIAA Division 3 regional tournament at the Frederic Golf Course today, May 24.
TEAM RESULTS: 1. Spring Valley 336, 2. Mondovi, 3. Glenwood City 377, 4. Durand 383, 5. Elk Mound 387, 6. Colfax 456.
OVERALL CONFERENCE STANDINGS: 1. Spring Valley 58 pts., 2. Mondovi 45 pts., 3. Durand 44 pts., 4. Glenwood City 31 pts., 5. Elk Mound 24 pts., 6. Colfax 10 pts.