Home-course advantage: Bison sharp at Heritage Hills

Steve Kodad/McCook Daily Gazette Alan Goodenberger of McCook gets ready to strike his tee shot on the 18th hole April 17 at Heritage Hills Golf Course during Ron Coleman Invitational high school golf tournament action. Goodenberger shot an 81 to help the Bison win the team title with a season-low score of 318 strokes.

McCook High School head boys golf coach Rick Haney wasn't sure what kind of message his team's performance Tuesday sent to the rest of the Class B-4 district meet field.

But the Bison and other B-4 District teams know the district meet hosts will certainly be one of the top teams in the state qualifying event in McCook next month.

McCook capitalized on a sterling effort by junior Sean Backer and strong scores across the board to win the team championship at the annual Ron Coleman Invitational Tuesday at Heritage Hills Golf Course.

Steve Kodad/McCook Daily Gazette Sean Backer of McCook follows through on this chip shot at Heritage Hills Golf Course April 17 Tuesday in the Ron Coleman Invitational. Backer earned individual medalist honors with a two-over par 74.

The Bison shot a season-low team total of 318 strokes to top a strong field of 15 teams in the competition at the challenging McCook layout. Class A Kearney High was runner-up with a 329, and Class B-4 District foe Holdrege finished a distant third with a 350.

Backer carded an outstanding round, shooting a two-over par 74 over the 18 holes at Heritage Hills. Backer claimed individual medalist honors by three strokes.

Kade Brown of Decatur Community (Oberlin, Kan.) and Jackson Graham of Gothenburg each shot 77.

BISON SOPHOMORE Mack Alspaugh claimed the fourth-place medal with a 79. McCook senior Alan Goodenberger also earned a medal with an 81 to finish 12th.

Sophomore James Mitnik carded a season-best round of 84 to finish 18th. Sophomore David Durner shot a 93 to finished 38th in a field of more than 70 individuals.

Coach Haney praised Backer for his "championship level" round of golf and his continued team leadership. Backer carded a two-over 38 on the front nine at Heritage Hills, followed by an even-par 36 on the back.

"He's really playing well," Haney said of Backer.

The Bison coach said he was very proud of his team's effort Tuesday.

"It was a tough tournament and a very solid field of teams and individuals," Haney said. "So for us to come out like we did it really makes a nice day.

"We have a group of kids with three very experienced and great seasoned players, and two or three kids that are really coming on, and that's exciting."

ALSPAUGH helped his round with five birdies, and Coach Haney called Goodenberger's 81 very respectable. Perhaps the biggest key to McCook's success Tuesday was Mitnik's low score of the season. The sophomore carded rounds of 43 and 41.

"James is somebody who has worked extremely hard to put himself in position to score those kind of scores," Coach Haney said. "We need James and even David Durner to continue to improve and throw those kind of scores in there for us.

"When you don't have to count a 100 (in the team total) or you don't have to count a 95, that makes a big difference. You look at David Durner's score (93), and we could have counted it and it still would have put us in the hunt."

IN TUESDAY'S MEET,each school was allowed to enter a maximum of five individual players. The low four individual scores were added for a team total.

The strong showing on the Bison home course and the B-4 District layout doesn't mean Haney's team will waltz to a district meet title in the competition at Heritage Hills May 15. Two of the other top teams in the B-4 District field, Scottsbluff and Broken Bow, did not compete at McCook Tuesday. Coach Haney expects to see both those squads Thursday at the Gothenburg Invitational at the Wild Horse Golf Course starting at 9 a.m.

Scottsbluff, Broken Bow, Holdrege and perhaps Gothenburg are "the type of teams that can really cause havoc for us," at districts, Haney said.

"We have to stay focused," Haney said. "I think we showed that we can score well on our home course and we are blessed to have districts here to help us. But we're still going to have to earn it. We can't just show up at districts -- it isn't going to be automatic, it isn't just going to happen just because we show up. We have to play and we have to play well."

Haney said the focus for the Bison will be to continue to improve and hopefully reach a peak at districts and qualify for the Class B state meet in Kearney May 22-23.

The McCook meet is named after Ron Coleman, former Bison golf coach who lost his life in an accident several years ago.

RON COLEMAN INVITATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL BOYS GOLF MEET

Team Standings

Top 15 Individual Medalists

McCook Individual Scores

Decatur Community Individual Scores