This time last year, the St. James Academy boys golf team left the 5A state tournament in Newton feeling devastated by the final result.

After a pair of players did not compete due to pre-tournament misconduct issues, the Thunder played with just four golfers and still ended up finishing as the state runner-up, just five strokes back of state champion Kapaun Mt. Carmel.

Fast-forward one year and St. James returned with that group ready to compete for a title with all six varsity players in the field.

This time, the Thunder clinched their delayed state championship victory in record-low fashion. In fact, the team could have erased the scores for their top two golfers at this year’s tournament and still won the title by a couple of strokes.

St. James won the 5A team state championship by shooting a 16-under 552. Goddard Eisenhower took second with a 13-over 581. Luke Springer led the way for the Tigers with a 137 to take fourth. Maize South finished third with a 15-over 583. Conrad Parkhurst had that team's top finish with a 142 to land in a four-person tie for sixth.

St. James junior Josh Fratzel finished as the state runner-up with a 134, finishing behind only the 131 from Andover Central junior Colt Farrow following his 64 score on the final day. Senior Jacob Fratzel finished right behind his younger brother by scoring a 135 for third.

Senior Jake Kolich joined the Fratzel brothers in finishing under par, shooting a 4-under 138. Drew Hines rounded out the team’s top four with his 3-over 145 to take 11th. 
 

Darren Powell gave the Thunder a fifth medal winner as he ended up in a four-player tie for 15th with his 147.  Joey Governal narrowly missed out on giving the team a perfect 6-for-6 players heading up to grab a medal. Governal finished in a three-person tie for 21st with his 149. 

If the scores of all six varsity golfers were counted, the Thunder would have still finished 4-under par.

St. James head coach Tom Radke said the team never really talked about last year’s disappointing results.

“Until today,” Radke said. “We got back down here to Emporia. It meant a lot for everybody to play so well today and yesterday. 

“They wanted it and they took care of business.” 

Although the team’s self-inflicted wound at last year’s state tournament was not a topic of discussion, the players still took that lesson of that moment to heart.

“All year, our No. 1 goal has been to win state as a team,” Josh Fratzel said. “Last year, the way it ended, it definitely left a sour taste in our mouth. To be able to come out here and cross off the top of our checklist, it means a lot.”

Jacob Fratzel added: “Discipline was the main thing the whole year. Last year obviously was a bummer, but just being able to be disciplined every day in practice and know that this is our year to actually do something special. Coming back to Emporia was a great place to be able to do it.”
 

Radke said his players have been coming on strong since at least regionals and he expected them to keep that going at state.

“My assistant coach and I, we knew if we actually played to our potential, like we did this weekend, we could do something special.”

Jacob Fratzel highlighted how well Hines played at state as being one of the biggest parts of the team’s record-low performance.

“He came in as our six spot, and he hadn't been playing amazing all year,” Fratzel said. “But coming in he was just telling us that he knows that if he shoots even, he's going to help out our team. Being able to have him as our six-bag coming and use his scores both days, just shows you our depth and how crazy it is.”

Both Fratzel brothers admitted that the great performance was still undercut a tiny bit by finishing behind Farrow in the chase for an individual state title.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was frustrating because he just kept hitting good shot after good shot,” Jacob Fratzel said. “But it was special to watch. I’m glad I was able to be in that group.”
 

Josh Fratzel played in the group ahead of them, which may have helped him avoid the same pressure as his brother and allowed him to jump into second place.

“But I was hearing from my coach talk about how (Farrow) was playing, and it definitely not didn't surprise me with knowing how good he is,” Josh Fratzel said. “But I just knew that I was gonna have to come down to the stretch and that I was gonna have to put a lot of good scores together. I was able to do that, I just come up short. 

“It's a good finish, and just shows me what I need to work on towards next year trying to get an individual title.”

Radke enjoyed watching not only the Fratzel brothers but also his next two golfers stay in contention for a state title throughout most of the tournament.

“These guys, they compete every single day at practice too,” Radke said. “They all wanted that individual state title also.

“We had different people win different tournaments this year. I think four different people won tournaments this year on our team, so just the collective there was no letting off the pedal.”