The Manhattan High school boys golf team started the season off with a bang after their first four tournaments.
“Bonding with the team has been super fun,” junior Tate Reid said. “Always van rides and post meet dinners have been really fun, just getting to connect and laugh with your teammates.”
Their first tournament at the Wamego Country Club went very well for the men, as they came in first place with a score of 310 to Washburn Rural’s 312. Senior Gage Hull led the team at that tournament, getting fifth place and a score of 77, tied with sixth placer Reid.
Rounding out the Varsity squad at Wamego, sophomore Jackson Powers finished eighth after hitting a 78, senior Owen Kandt finished 10th with the same score, sophomore Cade Cochran hit 85 and grabbed 47th place, and sophomore Cooper Graham finished with a score of 88 and 63rd place.
At the second tournament of the year, the team had the home field advantage at the Manhattan Country Club. After scattered results, they placed fourth, losing the podium to Washburn Rural by just one point.
Kandt led the team with a fourth place finish after hitting a 78, followed by Reid in seventh with 80, Hull in eighth 81, Cochran in 14th 83, Powers in 15th with 83, and Graham in 23rd with 88.
The third tournament of the season was at Smoky Hill in Hays. After a tougher time at the Manhattan Country Club, the team brought back the wins, taking first with a total of 314.
Hull once again led the team with a score of 75 and fourth place. Hull was followed by Reid, placing eighth with a score of 77, Kandt in 11th with a score of 80, Cochran in 12th with a score of 82, Graham in 15th with a score of 83, and Powers in 16th with a score of 84.
Despite a strong start, the team started with one big hurdle at the start of their season.
“It has been rough after losing [senior] Miles Braxmeyer to injury,” Reid said.
A Varsity player last year, Braxmeyer has been on the injured list all season. However, despite being a member down, the team has high hopes after a solid start to the season.
“All of us start to find the groove towards the end, just keep playing more and we’ll end up finding a groove and hopefully we can end up doing pretty well at State.”
The team’s next tournament is Friday, April 26, at Hutchinson, with League the following Monday.
