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Bears fourth out of 11 at Solon course
by Matthew Dickinson, sports editor · Sports · April 09, 2025
In a marathon tournament held on Friday at Lake MacBride Golf Course in Solon, the West Branch boys’ golf team finished fourth out of 11 teams with 317 strokes.
Host Solon took a tight team race with 308 strokes in the competition that lasted nearly eight hours due to a large number of golfers and technical difficulties. West Delaware claimed second with 310 while Independence finished four strokes ahead of the Bears with 313.
“Looking at the teams that were there, there’s a lot of teams from the WaMac [conference],” Bears Head Coach Randy Sexton said. “West Delaware returned several guys with a team that qualified for state last year in [Class] 3A, and Independence had most of their team back. We were realistic, we knew we could compete. We were more concerned with our score than about where we finished.”
West Branch had two golfers earn medals against the competitive individual field. Sawyer Jeffries carded a 35-42 77 to tie for fourth, while Bryce Anderson tied for the last medalist spot with a 41-37 78 for eighth. The Bears had a near-medalist effort from McGavin Smith, who turned in a 39-40 79 to finish a stroke short of an award.
Sexton said that he asked Assistant Coach Jason Miller when the last time the Bears had three golfers with score in the 70’s in the same tournament. Miller, whom Sexton shouted out for his contributions to the program, thought for a while and went back to about the time West Branch won the River Valley Conference the year the Bears took the Class 2A state title in 2021.
“It’s been quite some time since we’ve had a chance to have that many kids shoot that well,” Sexton said.
Paxton Tisinger rounded out West Branch’s scorers with a steady 42-41 83. The top four golfers accounted for the Bears’ scoring in Solon’s unique tournament form, which takes the top four scores regardless of golfer from the first nine holes and the back nine.
Sexton added that Tisinger “performed very well” in the tournament to help out Jeffries, Anderson, and Smith.
The tournament allowed an expanded varsity field as well, with seven golfers instead of the usual six. Ethan Miller shot a 43-45 88 while Gavin Oxley (43-46 89) and Nolan Staker (51-49 100) gained varsity experience.
“We had several of our kids who were needed for the soccer team and went out and performed very well and got a victory there against Sigourney-Keota,” Sexton said. “It gave us an opportunity to give some other kids an opportunity to play in a tournament. I think that’s Nolan’s first tournament. I’m almost certain it was Gavin’s first tournament as well.”
The long day also included some inclement weather, such as rain that hit the course a few hours into the tournament.
“It kind of tests you more mentally than it does physically,” Sexton said of the long day. “So for the kids to keep grinding, and we were pretty consistent on both sides with our scoring. So that was good as well.”
The Bears had a quick turnaround to competition with a Monday night road matchup against Mid-Prairie. A challenging Kalona Golf Course venue and an always-solid Golden Hawks presented a pair of challenges for West Branch. The coach said that the Bears will once again have several members playing soccer in a big matchup against Tipton, adding that “Mid-Prairie certainly is going to be a big test for us.” Sexton added that the course forces golfers to hit the ball straight and that there are “some tough putting greens as well.”
Team scores: 1. Solon 306 2. West Delaware 310 3. Independence 313 4. West Branch 317 4. Tipton 329 5. Regina 336 7. Williamsburg 337 8. West Liberty 343 9. Benton 361 10. Clear Creek-Amana 366 11. Durant 415.
Medalist play: 1. Isaiah Zoske (SOL) 73 1. McCoy Peyton (WD) 75 3. Ethan Calahan (IND) 76 4. Blayne Mergen (IND) 77 4. Owen Heesch (SOL) 7 4. Sawyer Jeffries (WB) 77 4. Aidan Zirtzman (WD) 77 Colson Mersch (WD) 77 8. Owen Steinman (TIP) 78 8. Bryce Anderson (WB) 78.
West Branch results: Sawyer Jeffries 35-42 77; Bryce Anderson 41-37 78; McGavin Smith 39-40 79; Paxton Tisinger 42-41 83; Ethan Miller 43-45 88; Gavin Oxley 43-46 89; Nolan Staker 51-49 100.
West Branch 163
Mid-Prairie 175
West Branch traveled to Mid-Prairie on Monday and defeated their hosts, 163-175.
Team scores: 1. West Branch 163 2. Mid-Prairie 175.
West Branch results: 1. Bryce Anderson 36 (medalist) 2. McGavin Smith (runner-up medalist) T-3 3. Sawyer Jeffries 42 T-7. Gavin Oxley 45 T-9. Paxton Tisinger 46 T-9. Ethan Miller 46.
Mid-Prairie results: T-3. Denver Nelson 42 T-5. Ace Peck 44 T-5. Clayton Davidson 44 T-7. Grayson Gingerich 45 T-9. Hudson Ehrenfelt 46 12. Bryce Henry 49.
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