By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
WAMEGO -- After two meets to open the 2026 season, Washburn Rural golf coach Jared Goehring knows his Junior Blues are making progress.
Senior Michael Wilson shot a 75 to tie for 10th place for Washburn Rural in Thursday's Great Plains Classic at Wamego Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But Goehring also knows that Rural still has a lot of room for improvement if the Junior Blues, a perennial city and Class 6A contender, are going to put themselves in position for a late-season run.
"I felt like the progress was there in stretches with good course management, good contact with their clubs,'' Goehring said. "It's definitely a step in the right direction, but we've got to keep moving forward.
"We've got Manhattan Country Club on Monday and then we go to Firekeeper, which will be a real good test where the state tournament is, and then we'll kind of see where we fall after that.''
Rural had two players shoot in the 70s and four in the 80s in Thursday's Great Plains Classic at Wamego Country Club en route to a 319 team score and a tie for 11th in the powerhouse 17-school field.
Higgins Hawks shot an 81 for Washburn Rural in Thursday's Great Plains Classic at Wamego Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Senior Michael Wilson shot a team-low 75 to tie for 10th place individually while Peyton Goehring added a 79, Higgins Hawks an 81 and Wyatt Dean an 84 to round out Washburn Rural's top four.
Olathe Northwest won the team title by a 301-303 margin over Manhattan, while the Indians' Charlie Haney shot a two-under-par 68 to post a two-shot individual victory.
Hayden and Shawnee Heights also competed in Thursday's meet, with the Wildcats finishing 15th at 361 and Shawnee Heights 17th at 375.
Austin Bean carded an 84 and Carter Compton an 88 to lead Hayden while Andrew Schulte and Keaton Hornbaker both shot 92 to pace Shawnee Heights.
WASHBURN RURAL GREAT PLAINS CLASSIC
At Wamego Country Club
Team scores
Olathe Northwest 301, Manhattan 303, Blue Valley Northwest 307, Mill Valley 308, Lawrence 309, Shawnee Mission East 309, Olathe South 310, Blue Valley West 311, Olathe West 315, St. Thomas Aquinas 319, Washburn Rural 319, Lawrence Free State 319, De Soto 320, Shawnee Mission South 341, Hayden 361, Emporia 364, Shawnee Heights 375.
Individual results
1. Charlie Haney, Manhattan, 68; 2. Ian Field, Mill Valley, 70; 3. (tie) Cash Nelson, Free State; Justin Ross, Blue Valley West; Carson Yates, Olathe West, Dylan Harsch, Blue Valley Northwest; Andrew Kirkwood, Lawrence, and Kyle Elliott, Olathe Northwest, 73; 9. Cooper Burnett, Olathe Northwest, 74; 10. (tie) Chase Malone, Blue Valley Northwest; Cade Cochran, Manhattan; Michael Wilson, Washburn Rural; Tate Edwards, Olathe South; Jack Butterbaugh, Olathe Northwest, and Jones Tuttle, Blue Valley West, 75.
Other Washburn Rural -- Peyton Goehring 79, Higgins Hawks 81, Wyatt Dean 84, Keaton Stoner 87, Camden Ismert 87, Brandon Jeon 91, Jackson Noller 94, Grady Frederickson 100.
Hayden -- Austin Bean 84, Carter Compton 88, Caleb Fox 93, Reese Renyer 96, Caden Kuckleman 96, Logan Power 114.
Shawnee Heights -- Andrew Schulte 92, Keaton Hornbaker 92, Joey Hohman 94, Ayden Valdivia 97, Deegan Benton 97, Camden Granado 98.
