Better second day lifts Bison to 4th at state golf meet

Thursday, May 23, 2013
Steve Kodad/McCook Daily Gazette Sean Backer of McCook chips onto the 18th green at Jackrabbit Run Golf Course in Grand Island May 22 at the Class B boys state golf meet. Backer rallied to finish seventh in the final individual standings.

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. -- It didn't take long for the McCook High School boys golf team to erase the disappointment of a first-day struggle at the Class B state meet.

The Bison turned in the second-best round of the day Wednesday, May 22, in the final 18 holes of the state competition at the Jackrabbit Run Golf Course in Grand Island. McCook's 315 team total Wednesday boosted the Bison to fourth place in the final team standings after a disappointing 337 total in Tuesday's opening 18 holes.

Scottsbluff was the only team to shoot better than McCook's team Wednesday. The Bearcats claimed the state title with a 314 Wednesday to go with Tuesday's best team score of 320 and 314 for a 36-hole total of 634 strokes. Blair was a little bit of a surprise at state, as the Bears put together rounds of 326 and 317 for a 643 to claim the runner-up trophy.

Steve Kodad/McCook Daily Gazette McCook freshman Riley Loop follows through on this chip shot on the 17th green during Class B boys state meet competition at Jackrabbit Run Golf Course in Grand Island May 22. Loop improved his first-round score by 18 strokes to help the Bison climb to fourth in the final state meet team standings.

Beatrice had team scores of 328 and 318 for a 646 total and third place, followed by McCook's 652, Omaha Skutt Catholic's 662 for fifth and Aurora sixth at 672.

Bison head coach Rick Haney labeled his team's opening round as simply "a bad day" for his squad.

"For whatever reason (Tuesday) we didn't perform at the level we wanted or what the kids expected," Haney said. "Some of it could have been a factor of elements here, the competition, the course, whatever. The kids bounced back and shot 315 (Wednesday), which we're very capable of doing. Even with our 315, we felt we probably left a few strokes out there. Of course, every team feels that way.

"(Tuesday) unfortunately we played our way into a position where we were just fighting to finish in the top four. We moved up one spot, which I'm proud of."

McCook was fifth after Tuesday's round and jumped Skutt Catholic for fourth in the final standings after Wednesday's improved round.

SEAN BACKER is the lone senior on the McCook state tournament team. Backer was in danger of not finishing in the top 10 and spoiling a career run among the Class B state meet leaders after shooting an 81 Tuesday. Sean bounced back nicely Wednesday with a two-over par 74 to jump to seventh in the final individual medalist standings.

Backer has finished in the top 10 in each of his four trips to the state meet.

"I'm proud of Sean. He was a stellar part of our program the last four years and a good part of the reason this is the fifth year in a row the Bison program has made it to state. Nothing to hang our heads about.

"Sean is our leader. His 74 (Wednesday) is a true testament of his abilities. His 81 (Tuesday) was not. I'm sure he felt he left a lot out there yesterday and just did not perform like he wanted."

Backer has accepted a scholarship to play golf at Hastings College next year.

McCOOK JUNIOR Mack Alspaugh missed a top 15 medal finish by one stroke. Alspaugh bounced back from an 83 Tuesday to shoot 78 Wednesday to finish with a 36-hole total of 161 strokes and tie for 16th.

Freshman Noah Hofman had a solid state meet with rounds of 82 and 81 for a 163 total and a tie for 25th.

Perhaps the most impressive effort Wednesday for the Bison came from freshman Riley Loop, who carded a 98 Tuesday, followed by an 82 Wednesday for a 180 total and a tie for 62nd.

Coach Haney hopes Loop's second-day improvement will springboard him into more success next season.

Junior James Mitnik also improved his score Wednesday with an 89 after shooting 91 Tuesday. Mitnik had a 180 total to also tie for 62nd.

MICHAEL HADDEN of Scottsbluff won the individual state title with rounds of 75 and 73 for a 148 total. Brian Carmody of Omaha Skutt Catholic was second with a 151, one stroke ahead of Andrew Holloway of Scottsbluff. Leighton Thomas of York, Tommy Hamilton of Omaha Gross Catholic and Lucas Grossnicklaus of Aurora tied for fourth at 154, one stroke ahead of Backer.

Coach Haney said he was proud of his team's 315 score Wednesday.

"Unfortunately we couldn't string two of those days together and walk away with some hardware (top two team finish), the big hardware that we wanted," he said.

But with four underclassmen, including a pair of freshmen, in the state meet lineup, Haney can hope for better days at future Class B state meets.

"The program looks good for some years to come," Haney said.

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