By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
The Seaman boys finished fourth at the United Kansas Conference golf tournament at Shawnee Country Club Monday, the top finisher among the league’s three Topeka schools.
Pacing the Vikings was junior Jordan Burghart, who shot 77, just one stroke out of first place. Burghart finished in a three-way tie for third, his best finish of the season.
“It was fun today. Tough competition. A lot of good golfers,” Burghart said. “I think I did pretty well aside from one blow-up hole. Other than that, it was pretty good.”
The junior’s 77 was his best round of the season and the third-place finish was his highest finish. He now looks forward to the Class 5A regional meet to be held at Lake Shawnee next Monday.
“I’ve just got to shot what I did today, or in the low 80s, to go to state,” Burghart said. “I’ve got to have my driver. If that’s not going, it’s not going well.”
De Soto claimed the league crown by shooting 318 as a team. Basehor-Linwood finished two strokes back. Seaman finished a shot behind Lansing, which posted a 329.
“This was our best team score of the year, so it’s always nice to shoot your best score going into the end of the year,” said Seaman coach Rick Rineberg. “I’m really proud of the development of the team. I told them before the meet, they’re a really fun group to be around and hopefully we get to play for two more weeks, not just one more week.
“To qualify for state as a team, we just have to play our game and just kind of understand who we are as golfers. We don’t have anybody on the team that is going to out and light it up and shoot six, seven under par. But we have a lot of guys that can grind it out and shoot in the high 70s and low 80s.”
Basehor-Linwood senior Logan Anderson and Lansing senior A.J. Allen finished tied for first with an 18-hole score of 76. They dueled in a playoff hole that saw Anderson par for the win.
Joining Seaman’s Burghart in the top 10 was Topeka West’s Blaze Schultz. The Charger sophomore finished in a four-way tie for seventh was a round of 80.
“I felt pretty good,” said Schultz, whose best round of the season was a 79 at Western Hills, good for second in that meet. “I played good in the back, one over. Front nine was a little rough, but I finished strong.
Schultz reflected on his prospects to qualify for state in light of his finish in the UKC meet.
“I’ve got to shoot low 80s, 85. That’s the goal,” Schultz said about next week’s regional meet. “I’m feeling pretty good (about my development). I can’t wait to keep improving.”
Leading way for Shawnee Heights was junior Ayden Valdivia, who carded an 81, earning a spot on the All-United Kansas Conference Second Team.
UNITED KANSAS CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
At Shawnee Country Club
Team scores
De Soto 318, Basehor-Linwood 320, Lansing 329, Seaman 330, Piper 340, Shawnee Heights 342
Individual results
1. Anderson, Basehor-Linwood, 76 (won playoff); 2. Allen, Lansing, 76; 3 (tie). Spurlock, De Soto, 77; 3 (tie). Hendren, Basehor-Linwood, 77; 3 (tie). Burghart, Seaman, 77; 6. Ward, Leavenworth, 79; 7 (tie). Lininger, De Soto, 80; 7 (tie). Bull, Lansing, 80; 7 (tie). Beach, De Soto, 80; 7 (tie). Schultz, Topeka West, 80.
Other Seaman – Williamson 82, Michalski 84, Hill 87, Perry 92, Flanagan 92.
Other Shawnee Heights – Valdivia 81, Knernschield 86, Smith 93, Freeman 95.
Other Topeka West – Putthoff 90.
ALL UNITED KANSAS CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM:
Anderson, Basehor-Linwood; Allen, Lansing; Spurlock, De Soto; Hendren, Basehor-Linwood; Burghart, Seaman; Ward, Leavenworth.
ALL UNITED KANSAS CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM:
Lininger, De Soto; Bull, Lansing; Beach, De Soto; Schultz, Topeka West; Kisner, De Soto; Valdivia, Shawnee Heights.
