Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Regina

Coach: Jared Galpin (5th season)

Top returners: Mark Schomer, Soph.; Jake Phillips, Sr.; Zach Seaman, Sr.; Brady Wallace, Sr.

Newcomers to watch: Nic Hein, Soph.

Headliner: It didn’t take long for Mark Schomer to establish himself as the Regals number one golfer. Schomer had a team-best 45.7 nine-hole average during his freshman season that included a trip to the district meet after a seventh-place sectional finish with an 88.

Keep an eye on: A regular in the lineup for three seasons, senior Brady Wallace is the most experienced golfer on the Regina roster.

Circle the date: May 9. River Valley Conference meet at Muscatine Municipal Golf Course. Regals will attempt to improve on a fifth-place conference finish from last season.  

Outlook: Regina brings back four golfers with varsity experience in Schomer, Wallace and seniors Zach Seaman and Jake Phillips.

Sophomore Nic Hein is expected to be the top candidate to fill out the lineup.

Clear Creek Amana

Coach: Chad McCarty (2nd season)

Assistant coaches: Brad Fox

Top returners: Brandon McCarty, Soph.; Isaac Quinn, Jr.

Newcomers to watch: Ryan Navara, Fr.

Headliner: Sophomore Brandon McCarty will look to build on a strong debut season in which he led Clear Creek Amana with a 41.2 nine-hole average.

Keep an eye on: Junior Isaac Quinn will be expected to step into a more prominent role this season following the departure of five graduated seniors.

Circle the date: May 7. WAMAC Conference meet at Amana Colonies Golf Course. The Clippers get home course advantage as the 15-team WAMAC Super Meet comes to the Clippers challenging home course.

Outlook: Clear Creek Amana will be young and mostly inexperienced following the loss of five seniors but returns its number one player from a season ago in McCarty.

Quinn and freshman Ryan Navara are expected to move into the top five as the Clippers attempt to improve on their 15th place finish at the WAMAC meet last season.

Solon

Coach: Adam Stahle (11th season)

Assistant coaches: Scott Wolfe

Top returners: Ethan Yahr, Sr.; Blake Newell, Sr.; Jack Stahle, Sr.

Newcomers to watch: Spencer Wolfe, Sr.; Aidan Dall, Jr.; Joe Stahle, Soph.

Headliner: Ethan Yahr earned first-team all-conference honors a season ago with a fifth-place finish at the WAMAC Super meet where he fired a 77.

Keep an eye on: Senior Jack Stahle will look to take a step forward this season after ranking fifth on the team with a nine-hole average of 44.7 a year ago.

Circle the date: April 6. Solon Invitational at Lake MacBride Golf Course.

Outlook: Five of the top eight from last year’s team that finished sixth in the conference.

Yahr gives the Spartans an experience player in the number one spot and Stahle and fellow seniors Blake Newell and Spencer Wolfe return with varsity experience.

Junior Aidan Dall and sophomore Joe Stahle will each look to bolster the Spartan lineup.

West Branch

Coach: Randy Sexton (22nd season)

Assistant coaches: Jason Miller, John Walsh

Top returners: Cade Aspelmeier, Sr.; Trevor Thein, Sr.; Ted Bridges, Jr.; Mitchell Knoop, Jr.; Brady Lukavsky, Jr.; Evan O’Neil, Jr.; Jack Robertson, Soph.; Matt Whaley, Soph.

Newcomers to watch: Trey Schutte, Fr.; Kaleb Sexton, Fr.; Matt Westcott, Fr.

Headliner: Junior Ted Bridges looks to build on a sophomore season in which he shot a 75 to win a sectional title.  

Keep an eye on: Senior Trevor Thein has signed to play collegiately at Grandview but will first look to end his career on a high note after finishing runner-up at the RVC meet and advancing to the district meet a year ago.

Circle the date: May 11. Sectional Tournament at Wahkonsa Country Club. The Bears will look to extend their season after finishing one spot out of a district berth last season.

Outlook: Expectations are as high as they have been in some time for the Bears who return their top eight golfers from last year’s conference championship squad.

Thein, Bridges and junior Brady Lukavsky all earned all-conference honors a season ago and join senior Cade Aspelmeier and juniors Mitchell Knoop and Evan O’Neil as varsity regulars.

Sophomore Matt Whaley (48.6) joins Lukavsky (46.4), Thein (44.7) and Bridges (43.5) as West Branch golfers with nine-hole averages under 50.