By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn Rural boys golf coach Jared Goehring knows his Junior Blues will need to go lower at next week's Class 6A state tournament to challenge for a championship.
But the Junior Blues' performance Monday at Topeka Country Club was good enough to produce an impressive performance in its own right, with Rural completing a sweep of city, Centennial League and 6A regional championships.
Led by junior Luke Leonetti's runner-up finish and putting five players in the top seven places individually, Washburn Rural claimed the regional crown by a 322-328 margin over Free State.
Washburn Rural's golf team poses with its regional championship trophy Monday after winning the title by a 322-328 margin over Free State, [Submitted]
Leonetti shot a 78 to finish two strokes behind Free State freshman regional medalist Jack Randall, while Rural senior Tyler Higgins and junior Giles Frederickson tied for third with 81s and juniors Joe Morse and Turner Depperschmidt tied for sixth place with 82s. Senor Cole Kucera rounded out the Junior Blues' lineup with an 85.
"The guys had just enough in the tank today to cross another goal off our list that we set at the beginning of the season -- city champions, league champions and regional champions -- so it was a good enough day to get the job done,'' Goehring said.
"One thing to take away is we had six scores 85 or better. We've just got to some of those at the top a little bit lower. We've got to get some of those in the middle a little bit lower and then the guys towards the bottom of the lineup kind of did their jobs today, but I think all of these guys collectively top to bottom would say that they would love to have at least four to five shots back from their round today.''
Washburn Rural junior Luke Leonetti finished second in Monday's Class 6A regional golf tournament with a 78. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Next up for the Junior Blues is the 6A state tournament next Monday and Tuesday at Quail Ridge Golf Course in Winfield.
"It's anybody's ballgame,'' Goehring said of the state meet. "I love the new format. The two-day, 36-hole competition will definitely separate your better players and better teams.
"We're definitely the underdog. There's some teams out east -- Blue Valley, Blue Northwest, Shawnee Mission East -- that are definitely the favorites going in, but we'll have confidence and we'll have a good game plan going into it and we'll have a good way to attack that golf course.''
Free State and third-place Manhattan (336) claimed the other two teams berths out of Monday's regional for the state tournament.
CLASS 6A REGIONAL Team scores
Washburn Rural 322, Free State 328, Manhattan 336, Derby 383, Wichita Heights 419, Junction City 456.
Individual results
1. Randall, Free State, 76; 2. Leonetti, Washburn Rural, 78; 3. (tie) Sauder, Manhattan; Higgins, Washburn Rural, and Frederickson, Washburn Rural, 81; 6, (tie) Depperschmidt, Washburn Rural, and Morse, Washburn Rural, 82; 8. (tie) Packard, Free State; Gray, Free State, and Wefald, Manhattan, 83.
Other Washburn Rural -- Kucera 85.
Topeka High -- Hicks 115, Evenson 127, Labrador-Perez 133.
