Recap: Class 4A Golf

Golf

Burr’s steady rounds seals fall title, Waukee repeats in 4A

POLK CITY, Iowa – Waukee wrapped up an exceptional decade of golf and Linn-Mar, Marion was able to crown its first ever state golf medalist following the Class 4A fall golf state meet at Tournament Club of Iowa on October 11 and 12.

After all four of the IHSAA’s classifications had competition shortened to 18 holes due to rain in the 2018-19 school year, Class 4A opened up the 2019-20 championship schedule with outstanding play over all 36 holes on the premier Polk City course. Sixteen players shot 79 or better on Day 1, and a breezy Day 2 produced great scores and a thrilling team race.

Waukee held on for its sixth state championship as a team, with every title coming over the last 10 falls. Coach John Kotz’s Warriors repeated after winning the 18-hole contest at Brown Deer in 2018. Waukee used scores from Matthew O’Brien, Jackson Starr, Joshua Nichols, Charles Andrews III, and were joined by teammates Jack Utsler, and Charlie Steer for the win.

Every last stroke mattered, too: Valley, West Des Moines came in just one shot behind Waukee when all the scores were tallied, 649 to 650. Southeast Polk and Pleasant Valley were close in the trophy hunt with 654 scores as teams. Dowling Catholic, W.D.M., Ames, and Cedar Falls all finished within 10 strokes of Waukee as well. This marked the second time Waukee had repeated as state champion, adding to wins in 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016, and 2018.

Linn-Mar junior Dillon Burr took home the individual state title by six strokes after firing 73 in back-to-back rounds. That score was good enough for second-place after Day 1, just one stroke behind Pleasant Valley’s Jack Roemer, but Burr was championship-level consistent on Day 2, shooting par on 15 of the 18 holes. That took him clear of Cedar Rapids, Washington sophomore Nile Petersen, who claimed runner-up honors, and Roemer, a junior who shot 152 total. Valley’s John Boettcher and Pleasant Valley’s Jack Dumas rounded out the top five, both shooting in the 70s on both days.

Linn-Mar had previously had Dillon Burr an individual finish as runner-up on three separate occasions, but Burr marked their first state golf champion. His margin of victory was the largest in 4A since 2016. Waukee also won by one stroke at Tournament Club of Iowa back in 2012.

The first official date of spring practice is set for March 16. The championship site for next fall’s Class 4A tournament was announced in January, and will be Des Moines Golf & Country Club.

Waukee

2019 State Fall Golf Leaderboard

Class 4A Team Results School Day 1 Day 2

Waukee 315 334 Valley, West Des Moines 325 325 Southeast Polk 332 322 Pleasant Valley 325 329 Dowling Catholic, W.D.M. 330 326 Ames 326 330 Cedar Falls 322 337 Cedar Rapids, Washington 335 328 Ankeny Centennial 337 331 Xavier, Cedar Rapids 356 338 Cedar Rapids, Kennedy 342 354 Bettendorf 367 345

Total

649 650 654 654 656 656 659 663 668 694 696 712

#

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8t. 8t. 10.

Class 4A Individual Medalists Name School

Dillon Burr Linn-Mar, Marion Nile Petersen Cedar Rapids, Washington Jack Roemer Pleasant Valley John Boettcher Valley, West Des Moines Jack Dumas Pleasant Valley Cole Davis Marshalltown Connor Van Weelden Ames Jake Calhoun Dowling Catholic, W.D.M. Brock Barnhart Cedar Rapids, Kennedy Matthew O’Brien Waukee

Day 1 Day 2

73 73 77 75 72 80 77 76 75 79 78 77 79 77 77 80 82 75 75 83

Total

146 152 152 153 154 155 156 157 157 158