GALION, Ohio – The Clear Fork boys golf team pulled no punches Wednesday during the Ed Koehl Junior Invitational at the Galion Country Club.
The Colts carded a 322 to take first place at the tournament, winning by 41 strokes.
“Top to bottom, our lineup was pretty solid,” Clear Fork coach Jeff Gottfried said. “We had all five scorers under 100 and four keepers were under 90.”
In addition to winning as a unit, Clear Fork also claimed the medalist and medalist runner-up titles in Luke Watson and Dakotah McClain, respectively.
Watson tallied a 75, while McClain shot an 80.
“They push each other every day in practice,” Gottfried said. “Luke was solid all day, and he actually finished up with three bogeys in a row, so he actually had a better round going than what showed up on the scorecard.”
“And Dakotah was definitely solid; he’s been solid all year,” Gottfried added.
Perhaps the biggest contributors to the team score, according to Gottfried, came from Devon Shortridge and Jake Helinski.
“When we can get an 81 out of Devon, that’s really nice, and then with Jake following in with his 86, like I said, that really rounds out the team nicely,” he said.
The hosting Tigers, which were fresh off their fifth-place performance at the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference Invitational, finished fourth with a 372.
For a team with no seniors, Galion coach Bryce Lehman said he was encouraged.
“Our kids are improving with each tournament,” Lehman said. “This is already our third tournament of the season, and our scores are getting lower and lower.”
Junior Nick Kruger and freshman Jack McElligott were Galion’s top performers, shooting 90 each.
“We’re slowly eliminating the mental mistakes, and we’re starting to get rid of some of the bad shots,” Lehman said of his team. “We’re starting to bank a little more on the course, and we need to continue to improve on that, especially with club selection – what to hit where and how to hit it.”
Both Lexington and Ontario brought their junior varsity squads to the tournament. The Minutemen were third with a 368, while the Warriors, who finished sixth, carded a 406.
Madison was good for a team total of 363 and second place.
Other teams at the invite were Fostoria (fifth, 395), Bucyrus (seventh, 411), Mansfield Christian (eighth, 457), and Crestline (ninth, 520). Mansfield Senior also participated but didn’t have enough players to field a team.
Lehman said Galion has been hosting the invite for more than 20 years.
“The kids had fun – it was a good day,” Lehman said. “It wasn’t too hot and a little breezy, so it’s always nice to play a tournament like that on your home course.”
