CLASS 6A

At Quail Ridge Golf Course, Winfield

RAPP, KRYSTYN BOOST BLUE VALLEY NORTH INTO LEAD
 
Perhaps looking to make up for lost time, Blue Valley North got 4-under-par 68s from juniors Brady Rapp and Drew Krystyn on Tuesday to give the Mustangs a slim lead over Shawnee Mission East in the team competition at the midpoint of the Class 6A state tournament at Winfield’s Quail Ridge.
 
Rapp and Krystyn shared the individual lead with Blue Valley sophomore Connor MacGee as seven of the 93 golfers shot under par. Blue Valley North, which was unable to send any golfers to state last spring, posted a four-man total of 3-over 291 for a one-shot lead over Shawnee Mission East, third-place finishers a year ago.
 
Junior Patrick Smith carded a 77 and senior Tommy McDowell posted a 78 to complete the Mustangs’ four-man score. Shawnee Mission East was led by sophomore Stuart Boulware, who fired a 1-under 71, and junior Elliott Cowden, who added a 1-over 73.
 
Five of the six teams that advanced to the final round of the 6A tournament a year ago at Garden City’s Buffalo Dunes made it through Tuesday. In addition to Shawnee Mission East, Manhattan and Blue Valley shared third place at 297, Olathe Northwest shot 299 and reigning champion Olathe West was sixth at 304.
 
Olathe Northwest’s Nick VanWyngarden finished the opening day one shot off the lead with a 3-under 69. Manhattan’s team score was anchored by a pair of 70s from freshman Charlie Haney and senior Tate Reid.
 
Last year’s individual state medalist, Maddix Shook of Garden City, opened with a 2-over 74.


CLASS 5A

At Emporia Municipal Golf Course

FRATZEL BROTHERS PROPEL ST. JAMES TO SCORCHING DAY IN EMPORIA
 
Conditions may not have seemed ideal for low scoring at the Class 5A state tournament with Emporia’s Municipal Golf Course heavily soaked by three straight days of rain.
 
But given the way St. James Academy’s Jacob and Josh Fratzel and a handful of others navigated their way around the course, it’s hard to say the conditions weren’t ripe for scoring.
 
Benefitting from lift, clean and place rules in effect, eight players finished Tuesday’s first round under par. That included a trio of golfers posting 4-under 67s with St. James’ Jacob Fratzel one of them.
 
Even on his front nine, Fratzel shot 4-under on the back nine to share the Day 1 lead with Andover Central’s Colt Farrow and Bishop Carroll’s Max Farber, who matched him with 67s.
 
While Jacob was shooting a 4-under, Josh Fratzel was right behind with a 3-under 68. Thunder teammate Jake Kolich also found his way under par with a 2-under 69 and when Darren Powell came in with a 1-over 72, St. James finished the first day of the tourney with a team total of 8-under 276.
 
That gives the Thunder an 11-shot lead over Eisenhower, which finished with a total of 287. The Tigers were led by Luke Springer, who shot a 2-under 69, and Braden Taylor, who had a 1-over 72. Easton Kaylor and Jackson Loomis each shot 73s to round out Eisenhower’s scoring.
 
Maize South sits third as a team at 289 while Andover was fourth at 293.
 
Jacob Fratzel, Farrow and Farber hold a one-shot lead over Josh Fratzel and two-stroke lead over St. James’ Kolich, Eisenower’s Springer and Andover Grant Hatzenbuehler. Maize South’s Joe Binger also finished under par with a 1-under 70, putting him eighth.


CLASS 4A

At Sand Creek Station Golf Course, Newton

WAMEGO TAKES LEAD IN BID FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE TITLE
 
With three golfers in the top five, two-time reigning 4A champion Wamego built a seven-shot lead over second-place Hayden after the opening round Tuesday at Newton’s Sand Creek Station.
 
Junior Regan Kueker, who won the Wamego regional last week, shot a 2-under-par 70 to lead the Red Raiders to a four-man total of 309. Kueker was one shot behind individual leader Ethan Small of Independence, a top-10 finisher in 4A a year ago.
 
Sophomore Breckin Miller added a 76 for sole possession of fourth place and senior Kaden Tyler was in a four-way tie for fifth after posting a 77. That group included 2023 4A champion Anderson Helmer of Circle and James Kuta, who posted the top score on Day 1 for Hayden.
 
Small and Kueker were the lone golfers under par on Tuesday. Bishop Miege sophomore Griffin Bloemker will enter the final round in third, four shots behind Small after carding a 73.
 
While Wamego’s cushion isn’t as large as the 23-shot advantage it built in the opening round last year in the 4A state tournament at McPherson’s Turkey Creek, only Hayden (316) is within single digits. Miege was 14 shots back after posting a four-man total of 323, followed by Andale (325), Circle (331) and Buhler (332).
 
The battle to survive the Day 1, top-six team cut was close, as Independence trailed Buhler by one shot with a 333.


CLASS 3A

At Buffalo Dunes Golf Course, Garden City

The 3A title chase remains wide open. 

Wichita Collegiate sophomore Landon Langston leads the field with a 2-under 70, but six different players are three shots or closer of his lead. 

Hesston’s Grant Waterson sits in second one shot back with a 71, followed by St. Mary’s Alex Gallegos in third at 72. 

After that, it’s a four-way tie for fourth at 73 between Scott City’s Jackson Rumford, Humboldt’s Connor Newman, Council Grove’s Drew Buchman and Perry-Lecompton’s Marius Carlsen. 

Others within striking distance include Wichita Trinity’s Cole Palmer (74), Heritage Christian’s Lucas Prado (75) and Iola’s Brennen Coffield (75). 

The team title picture isn’t a whole lot clearer. 

Wichita Collegiate leads the team standings with a 315, just one shot ahead of Wichita Trinity. Sabetha (326), Marysville (330), Wellsville (342) and Goodland (348) will also stick around for Day 2. 

Langston was even on the front nine before going 2-under on the back with three birdies to grab the Day 1 lead. Jacobi Salyers had Collegiate’s next best score with a 79, putting him tied for 20th. 

Trinity has three in the top 20 with Palmer, Alex Majors (13th, 77) and Cooper Martsolf (tied for 16th, 78). 
CLASS 2A

At Turkey Creek Golf Course, McPherson

SYRACUSE BUILDS 10-SHOT LEAD, THREATENS SACRED HEART’S STREAK
 
Syracuse positioned itself for a run at its first boys state golf title in 26 years and created some work for Sacred Heart to stretch its streak of 2A championships past nine.
 
Senior Brody Keller shot a 4-over-par 74 on Tuesday to lead the Bulldogs to a four-man score of 301, 10 shots ahead of Sacred Heart, which started its current run of team titles in 2015.
 
The teams will be paired together for Wednesday’s final round along with Hoxie, which shot 322 on the strength of senior Noah Dowell’s 2-under 68. Dowell, the Wichita County regional champion, was the lone golfer to break par on an overcast day at Turkey Creek.
 
A trio of Kellers appeared near the top of the leaderboard for Syracuse. In addition to Brody, sophomore Charlie shot a 75 to share fourth with Sacred Heart’s Dominic Matteucci, while freshman Brock was part of a five-way tie for sixth along with teammate Johnny TeVelde after both carded 76s.
 
Syracuse will try to win its third boys golf title after going back-to-back in Class 2-1A in 1998 and 1999.
 
Dowell, eighth at state a year ago, will take a four-shot lead into the final round in the battle for individual medalist. Oakley’s Easton Fink, who tied for fourth in the 2024 state tournament at Dodge City’s Mariah Hills, was solo second Tuesday after shooting a 72.
 
Cair Paravel (327), Hill City (334) and St. Mary’s Colgan (335) also made the cut for the final round. Colgan was five shots clear of Hutchinson Trinity for the last of the six team spots.
 

CLASS 1A

At Mariah Hills Golf Course, Dodge City

RED-HOT FINISH PROPELS ELKHART'S HIGGINS TO DAY 1 LEAD

A career round sent Elkhart’s Bodie Higgins atop the Day 1 leaderboard at Mariah Hills. 

The Wildcat senior fired a 4-under-par 67 to enter the second round with a one-shot lead over reigning champion Gavin Wahl from South Gray. 

After two bogeys and two birdies on the front nine, Higgins shot a sizzling 31 on the back nine with four birdies. 

He sank a long birdie putt on 18 to cap his first high school round in the 60s. 

Wahl's round was nearly as impressive. He was 1 under through the first nine, highlighted by an eagle on No. 6 to offset a pair of bogeys. He finished the back nine with no bogeys and wo birdies, closing his round of 68 with a birdie on 18 like Higgins. 

South Gray’s 29-tournament winning streak is being threatened with the team race turning into a three-way battle between the two-time defending champion Rebels, Hutchinson Central Christian and Elkhart. 

Central Christian leads the team standings with a 318, followed by Elkhart at 320 and South Gray at 323. South Gray and 2022 champion Central Christian have combined for the last three team titles in 1A while Elkhart is searching for its first title in program history. 

Ry Kooiman, the 2022 individual champion as a freshman, sits in fifth place for Central Christian with a 2-over 73. Cael Kooiman, last year’s runner-up, is eighth with a 77. Nathan Reed (82) and Tyler Reed (86) are in 12th and 24th for the Cougars, respectively. 

Senior Cameron Wahl (72) is fourth for South Gray but the Wahls are the only two Rebels currently in the top 30. 

Elkhart has three in the top 11 with Higgins, Murray Houtz (9th, 80) and Gavin Schumacher (11th, 82). 

Washington County (341), Onaga (374) and South Central (378) also qualified their teams for Day 2. 

Ashland’s Cord Kellenberger is third with an even-par 71, four shots off the lead. Other golfers in the top 10 include Bishop Seabury’s Jace Hoffman (sixth, 75), Kiowa County’s Sawyer Campbell (seventh, 76) and Centre’s Easton Glessner (81). 

With thunderstorms in the forecast for late afternoon/early evening, Wednesday’s second round will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a shotgun start.