As his high school golf career draws to a close, the scenario couldn't be much better for Cheney senior Harrison Middleton.
 
The talented left-hander is on a hot streak, winning his last three tournaments. And on Monday, Middleton and the Cardinals will host one of the six Class 3A regionals at Cherry Oaks Golf Course.
 
"We're all super thrilled about regionals being here," said Middleton, who began his recent tear on May 3 by leading Cheney to one of its five team victories this season at the Cheney Invitational. "The whole team is looking good right now. Confidence is high."
 
Last Monday, Middleton claimed medalist honors and led Cheney to a dominating victory in the Central Plains League tournament at Wichita's Reflection Ridge. Playing in what has been standard windy conditions this spring, Middleton's 5-over-par 77 outpaced a trio of golfers – including his senior teammate Keegan O'Shea – by seven shots. Cheney placed all of its golfers in the top 10 and won the five-team tournament by 73 shots over Wichita Trinity.
 
The most satisfying of Middleton's victories, however, may have been May 6 in the Marion County Invitational. Middleton won both legs of the one-day, 36-hole tournament, firing a 1-over-par 73 at Marion Country Club and an even-par 70 at Hillsboro Municipal Golf Course. Cheney's 323 team score at Marion and 315 at Hillsboro topped the field at both locations.
 
"Thirty-six holes in a day, that's a lot of golf and you've got stay focused," Middleton said. "We shot our lowest scores that day, so we were happy with that. That's a long day, and for everyone to be committed for that long, that's a good sign for us."
 
Middleton has been a factor for Cheney since early in his freshman season, when he shot a 76 in a tournament at Sterling and helped the Cardinals post a four-man score of 298. The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out his sophomore campaign, but Middleton came back strong, winning his first two tournaments as a junior.
 
Cheney took second at regionals last spring, falling by two shots to a Wichita Trinity team led by Lucas Sheufler, last year's 3A individual champion who now plays at Wichita State. The Cardinals defeated Trinity at state the following week at Hesston, and finished second in the team competition to Santa Fe Trail.
 
Middleton tied for third individually with a two-day total of 151 to lead the Cardinals. And this season, the Friends University signee has posted top-three finishes in six of eight tournaments with a stroke average of 74.7.
 
"I think the biggest thing I've seen with Harrison is his maturity as far as the mental game," Cheney coach Tim Hiebert said. "Things used to stick with him a little longer. I can remember three years ago, he would have a bad hole and it would take a couple holes to get things back on track. He's matured quite a bit in that way."
 
Middleton has complemented his mental improvement with added length off the tee. A natural drawer of the ball, the distance is giving him shorter approach shots and better scoring opportunities.
 
"I feel a lot more confident in what I can do with my game," Middleton said. "I feel a lot stronger, and hitting it farther just makes the game a lot easier."
 
Middleton is one of five returning players from Cheney's state runner-up team. O'Shea, Owen Ast and Jenson Hoeme are also seniors. Aiden Lynch, a sophomore, finished fifth at the CPL meet. He was the Cardinals' second highest finisher at state last season, tying for 14^th.
 
The home regional gives Cheney an opportunity to atone for one of his disappointments this season. The Cardinals struggled to a ninth-place team finish in the Wichita Collegiate Invitational on April 25 at Cherry Oaks. Two of the teams that defeated Cheney – Hesston and Collegiate – are in the regional field.
 
The top two teams from Monday's tournament will advance to the 3A state tournament on May 23-24 at Salina Municipal Golf Course.
 
"We're looking at playing our best golf," Middleton said. "It's obviously great to be playing at home and we're big fans of the Salina course. We like the layout and we want to go after the ring."
 
GOLF
 
– Bishop Carroll got solid performances from its entire lineup to edge reigning Class 5A champion Kapaun Mt. Carmel by three shots Tuesday in the Greater Wichita Athletic League championship at Wichita's Auburn Hills. Junior Noah Holtzman continued his strong season for the Golden Eagles, carding a 2-under-par 70 to earn medalist honors by three shots over Kapaun's Quaid Oliver and Asher Whitaker.
 
While Kapaun finished with three golfers in the top four, Carroll built its winning four-man score of 299 with four of the top seven. In addition to Holtzman, junior Colby Hays tied for fourth with a 75, junior Pearce Lashley was sixth with a 76 and senior Jake Stuckey shot 78 to finish seventh. All six of Carroll's golfers shot 80 or better.
 
– Senior Kyle Kasitz fired a 3-over-par 75 to edge Hutchinson junior Ty Adkins by one shot for medalist honors, and led Maize South to the Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail Division I title at Newton's Sand Creek. The Mavericks' 328 team score topped runner-up Derby by 12 shots.
 
Senior Layton Love and junior Grant Waggoner shot 84s and freshman Colten Hoover added an 85 for Maize South, which had four of the top seven individual finishers. Maize junior Stu Jones was one shot behind Adkins in third individually with a 77 and Derby sophomore Jaydon Carruthers shot 78 to finish fourth.
 
– Eisenhower defended its AVCTL Division II title on Tuesday, shooting a four-man score of 304 to defeat runner-up Andover by nine shots at Wichita's Consolver Golf Course. Sophomore Brody Scafe fired a 3-over 75 for medalist honors and led five Tigers in the top eight.
 
Scafe shared the low score with Andover freshman Aidan Nguyen and Scafe's senior teammate Emery Kaylor. Scafe won a playoff to finish first, Nguyen was second and Kaylor took third. Eisenhower also got 77s from sophomores Carson Wright and Tyler Hardtafer to complete its team score.
 
– Augusta junior Dylen Slusser shot a 77 to earn medalist honors, but McPherson claimed four of the next five individual places and edged the Orioles by two shots for the AVCTL Division III title Tuesday at Wellington Golf Club.
 
Seniors Gus Riddle and Parker VanCampen carded 81s to finish second and third for McPherson, which shot a team score of 329. Freshman Blaise Hoover was fifth with an 83 and junior Trakker French was sixth with an 84. Augusta senior Chance Kohls carded an 83 to finish fourth and boost the Orioles' 331 team total.
 
– Reigning Class 4A champion Wellington swept the top four individual places and shot a team score of 310 to win the AVCTL Division IV title by 58 shots over Rose Hill on Tuesday on the Crusaders' home course. Senior Deitrik Gill, last year's 4A medalist, shot a 3-under-par 67 to defeat teammate Brett Wyckoff by 12 strokes for top individual honors.
 
Seniors Laken Smith (81) and Caden Lawrence (83) completed Wellington's team score. Rose Hill senior Jaime Gracia-Gil, a foreign exchange student from Spain, shot 84 and finished fifth to lead the Rockets.
 
– Junior Camden Waterson used his local knowledge to card a 6-over-par 77 to earn medalist honors and led Hesston to the Central Kansas League title on Tuesday at Hesston Golf Course. The Swathers shot a four-man score of 332, 17 strokes better than runner-up Pratt.
 
Pratt claimed the next two individual finishes, with freshman Grant McAtee shooting a 78 to finish second and senior Brock Hudson adding an 83 for third. McAtee also won the Pratt Invitational a day earlier with the same score at Park Hills Golf Course. Senior Jace Regier (83), sophomore Palmer Welsh (84) and freshman Grant Waterson (88) rounded out Hesston's winning team score.
 
– Senior Zach Surface won his second Heart of America League individual title and led Sterling to the team title on Monday at Hesston Golf Course. Surface, who won the HOA meet as a freshman and finished second as a junior, shot a 3-over 74 to defeat junior teammate Braxton Linden by 10 strokes.
 
The Black Bears posted a team score of 351, well ahead of runner-up Berean Academy's 415. Senior Wyatt Beltz and sophomore Isaac Briar also finished in the top eight for Sterling.