Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

WEST BRANCH – The summer months can get hectic for high school athletes.

Ted Bridges stayed plenty busy in the summer during his prep career but also kept things as simple as possible.

“It gets busy when I’m playing baseball but other than that I just work at the golf course and play golf,” Bridges said. “That’s my summer.”

The unassuming summer schedule fits the laidback Bridges to a T and it has also helped turn the West Branch senior into one of the top golfers in Class 2A.

“He definitely loves to play the game and that certainly has helped lead to his success,” West Branch coach Randy Sexton said. “His summers are pretty much work at the golf course and go play golf.”

Bridges arrived on the state scene a year ago with a sixth-place finish at the Class 2A state tournament finishing the 36-hole tournament nine over par.

The sixth-place finish announced Bridges as one of the state’s top players but came as the Bears placed eighth out of nine teams in their first trip to the state meet since 2006.

Bridges and the Bears return to the state meet on Thursday with much high hopes.

“Last year I played pretty well but the team didn’t do as well as we would have hoped,” Bridges said. “This year our team is coming back a lot stronger and we hope to do even more damage this year.”

Bridges is the senior leader on a young but talented West Branch teams that will tee it up at the Class 2A meet on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at American Legion Memorial Golf Course in Marshalltown.

A year ago a trip to the state meet was enough for West Branch which shot a 643 on its way to its eighth-place finish.

The Bears want more in their return trip that starts on Thursday.

 “Last year one of our main goals was just getting there and that was on our goal sheet this year but along with that was winning the whole tournament,” Bridges said. “We will see how that turns out.”

Bridges will be a big key for the West Branch title hopes.

Now with two rounds of state meet experience under his belt Bridges hopes to improve on his sixth-place showing from last season that including a final-round 73.

“The experience helps a lot,” Bridges said. “It’s nice being familiar with the course this year and knowing what all is going to be out there in front of you and having the confidence of playing there last year.”

A year after finishing eighth West Branch returns as a title contender after shooting the lowest score of any qualifying team at the district meet.

Defending state champion Carroll Kuemper is among the favorites after winning the title by 15 strokes with a 604 a year ago.

With the addition of standout freshman Dylan Countryman and Brady Knoop along with returners Kaleb Sexton and Brady Lukavsky the Bears figure to be in the mix heading into the final round.

“We feel pretty confident that our kids can play with anybody in the state,” Sexton said. “Last year we thought we were good for our area this but this year we think we can play with anybody. We are going to go out there and let it rip and see what happens.”

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