KALIDA – Putnam County will be well represented at the Division III state golf tournament when Kalida and Miller City travel to the NorthStar Golf Club in Sunbury to vie for a state title Friday and Saturday.
At the Division III district tournament held in Bowling Green last week, Kalida finished second with a score of 335 while Putnam County rival Miller City placed third, seven strokes behind with a score of 342.
Being competitive is the primary concern for both teams but both coaches are also stressing to their teams to have fun and enjoy the moment.
Kalida
After back-to-back years of coming close to making it to state, the Kalida linksters finally broke through this year and they are now anxious to prove they belong with the the other top teams in the state.
Head coach Ken Schnipke said this is a talented group of players that worked hard to make it to this point and they understand what awaits them.
“They have a lot of experience,” Schnipke said. “They have been playing on varsity for two to three years. They haven’t been to state but they have been to everything else. They are mature and they work hard at their games and that is the reason they have succeeded.”
Schnipke said his players are working on their chipping and putting this week.
“We have been doing good with team putting so if we can keep that I think we will be OK,” Schnipke said. “But on the first nine at Stone Ridge our shots within 100 yards hurt us. For some reason we weren’t able to get them on the green. The main thing we are working on today is we are going to chip out on the long grass (at Country Acres) because that is what we will run into down there.”
Kalida also went to Shawnee earlier in the week to practice on some faster greens.
The Wildcats will have a practice round today on the NorthStar before beginning competition Friday.
“Probably like everyone else that is going to be there you are going down there to win it,” Schnipke said. “Only one team is going to win it so your odds aren’t very good. Just going down there you have a chance but I want the kids to go down there and have a good time and not put too much pressure on themselves. You want to see them have fun but you want to see them play good.”
Schnipke added that the Wildcats have the game to keep up with anybody in the state but it is a matter of being on their game the two days of the tournament.
“I think it is going to come down to tee shots and chipping,” Schnipke said. “That is probably our weakness. We tend to get a little hairy on our tee shots. We get a little wayward so I really believe for us it will come down to tee shots and chipping.”
Schnipke remains optimistic about the team’s chances of doing well because of the make up of the team. He points to his team’s comeback at districts after producing a less than stellar front nine He said his team from No. 1 to No. 5 and even the alternate is solid with golfers who constantly push each other.
This was evident at the district meet when Trent Siebeneck, the No. 2 golfer throughout much of the year, led the team with a 76 and finished tied for second overall. No. 1 golfer Jeff Knueve, who has produced a number of medalist performances throughout the regular season, posted an 86. Sophomore Christian Nartker shot and 85, with senior Collin Nartker shooting an 88 and junior Josh Klausing producing a 95.
Schipke said Siebeneck was fitted with a driver about a month ago and it seems to have elevated not only his game but his confidence.
Siebeneck said that at districts he told himself to stay in his game and if he made putts he was going to shoot well. At districts he had three birdies which the senior said was the reason he scored in the top three.
“I’ve shot 70s in every single tournament starting from the PCL (Putnam County League), so I am kind of feeling pretty good about my game,” said Siebeneck , who added that he would like to finish near the top and “make some noise,” at state.
Knueve, a senior, said making it to state is a big payoff for all the hard work that he and the team have put in the past couple of years.
“We had a feeling of success and succeeding in what we wanted to do,” said Knueve about finally getting over the hump and making it to state. “We want to go down there relaxed, shoot a good score and have fun and enjoy the moment. The ultimate goal is to shoot a good score and represent Kalida golf.”
Miller City
While Kalida has some history of making it to state, this is uncharted waters for the Miller City team that has not had a golf squad make it to state in school history.
“Words cannot describe how awesome and exciting it is for the kids to make it to state,” said Wildcat head coach Jared Kerns. “The Miller City golf program has gone to state only once with an individual back in 1985 which was Jeff Lammers. He is the father of senior Davis Lammers and sophomore Luke Lammers. It is very exciting for the 2016 Miller City golf team to qualify for state with his two sons on the team.”
Senior Davis Lammers led the team with an 82 and brother Luke was one stroke behind with an 83 at districts. Senior Jacob Schimmoeller posted an 88 and sophomore Boyd Vance notched an 89. Senior Kelvin Stehschulte had a 101.
Kern added that it has been teamwork and dedication that has been the reason the Wildcats have been successful this season. Miller City finished second at the PCL tournament and at sectionals behind Kalida both times.
“This group of kids have helped each other out all summer and it is now paying off,” Kern said. “The kids continue to help each other out so everyone can play their best game possible.”
Even though none of the Wildcats have made it to this far into the postseason, Kerns said it will be business as usual when it comes to getting ready for state.
“We will prepare this week just like we have for every other week,” Kern said. “The players know where they are struggling and where they are doing well. The main point of emphasis will be trying to be mentally focused on a big stage that is the state tournaments.”
Kern added that his expectations for state are simple and that is for the team to have fun and play the best they can.
Rager also in field
Lincolnview’s Joshah Rager, who earned the number three individual qualifying spot in a playoff after shooting a 78 at districts, will also be competing at the state tournament. Last year, Rager finished in a tie for eighth at state with a 160 two-day total.
.neFileBlock {
margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
padding-bottom: 5px;
padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
font-size: 85%;
}
