Ottumwa golfers post lowest score in 10 years

September 11, 2009

Ottumwa High School

Ottumwa golfers post lowest score in 10 years

BY KELLY TERPSTRA

COURIER SPORTS WRITER

OTTUMWA — It’s time

for this show to hit the road

runnin’.

The Class 4A defending

state champ Ottumwa Bulldog

boys golf team said

goodbye on Thursday night.

The Bulldogs bid adieu to

Cedar Creek Golf Course in

a dual meet versus Des

Moines Hoover. Ottumwa

said farewell to all its home

meets, for that matter, as it’s

on the road from here on

out to repeat at state glory.

Time to crank up the

engine.

“From here on out, the

gloves come off. Now we

have to put it in a next gear

and start tuning it up for the

big dance,” said Ottumwa

head coach Mike Cardin.

Tune up they did.

Led by Class 4A Golfer

of the Year — senior

Michael Wetrich —

Ottumwa shot a monster

front-nine round of 137 —

three-under par as a team.

That’s just one stroke off

Cardin’s lowest round ever

at Ottumwa’s municipal

course. That round came in

1999, when the front nine

was par 33.

Wetrich was matched by

the 2009 Iowa Junior PGA

Player of the Year — senior

Taylor Maas. Maas won the

16-18 age division in that

junior tourney this summer,

entitling him to a free set of

irons at a ceremony to be

held later this fall.

Maas and Wetrich each

stroked out at two-under

par 33. The teammates, who

were paired together, each

stroked an eagle on hole No.

6. Maas’ second shot came

within a foot of the cup,

Wetrich’s five.

Wetrich talked about

Ottumwa’s surprise fifthplace

finish at the Des

Moines Lincoln Invite last

Tuesday. The effort — at the

Wakonda Club — is just

going to motivate the Bulldogs

even more to succeed

according to the all-stater.

“Playing against those

teams and losing is going to

help us out in the long run,”

said Wetrich. “It’s going to

put us back in our place

where we still need to

work.”

Wetrich helped Cardin

win his seventh state title

last fall and 11th overall for

Ottumwa. Overcoming

adversity and stepping up

to challenges are two keys

Wetrich and his teammates

clearly understand. Confidence

to go along with

those winning traits makes

any team a deadly opponent.

“Not by any means am I

discouraged in what this

team is capable of,” said

Wetrich. “Everybody’s got

the same idea — to win

state.”

Maas talked about his

game — which has gone to

another level after long

hours on the links this summer.

Maas didn’t make the

cut last fall to compete at

the state tournament. He

played on the ’06 state team

as a freshman and said

Thursday’s round at home

might have been his best

round ever at Cedar Creek.

“It’s just kind of been

that extra chip on my shoulder

all summer long,” said

Maas. “It motivated me and

made me practice a little

harder than I have in year’s

past. I definitely think it’s

paid off.”

Maas and Wetrich, along

with junior Tyler Granneman,

are exempt from

Cardin’s 108-hole

qualifying process that will

fill out the three remaining

postseason slots from a

group of five golfers.

Granneman, a left-hander,

shot a 40.

The qualifying round

begins this Sunday at

Finkbine in Iowa City,

Ottumwa’s district course.

“I have to have guys that

can take their show on the

road. These are great scores

—we have to also remember

this is one of our home

courses that we know very

well,” said Cardin. “If this

was on the road, that would

be even more phenomenal.”

The five golfers in the

running for those three coveted

spots are sophomore

Erik Thorgaard, juniors

Marcus Giltner, Cody

Palmer and Zach Throckmorton,

as well as sophomore

Christian Archer.

Throckmorton blistered

the front nine with a oneover

34. Giltner fired a 40.

Thorgaard and Palmer competed

for OHS’ junior varsity

in a triangular against

Oskaloosa and Des Moines

East. Thorgaard – a thirdplace

finisher at state as a

freshman — carded out at

76 over 18 holes. Palmer

shot a 73 for medalist honors.

Archer came on strong

for a 37.

Ottumwa competes in

the West Des Moines Valley

Invite at Briarwood on

Monday.

Ottumwa vs. Des Moines Hoover

dual

At Cedar Creek Golf Course, Ottumwa

Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009

Par 35

Team scoring — 1. Ottumwa 137; Des

Moines Hoover 196.

Medalist — Michael Wetrich, Ottumwa

33; Taylor Maas, Ottumwa 33.

Runner-up — Zach Throckmorton,

Ottumwa 34.

Ottumwa individuals — Christian

Archer 37, Tyler Granneman 40, Marcus

Giltner 40.

Des Moines Hoover individuals — Charlie

McInroy 50, Jacob Brown 49, Jerod

Smith 46, Nick Hestbech 56, Tyler Gilbrith

51.

Des Moines East, Oskaloosa versus

Ottumwa JV triangular

At Cedar Creek Golf Course, Ottumwa

Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009

Par 35

Team scoring — 1. Ottumwa 299; 2.

Oskaloosa 355; 3. Des Moines East 499.

Medalist — Cody Palmer, Ottumwa 73.

Runner-up — Timo Vauttinen, Ottumwa

74.

Ottumwa individuals — Erik Thorgaard

76, Mitch Hardie 76, Joe Wetrich 83, Paul

Fothergill 84.

Oskaloosa individuals — Clay Tucker

85, Ben Roberts 89, Andy Stefanik 106,

Kaden VanMaanen 93, Jordan Lowry 88,

Harrison Rogers 107.

Des Moines East individuals — Anthony

Salas 111, Joe Rieserer 130, Payton Pringle 127,