Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SOLON – There was no shortage of motivation for Solon on Wednesday opening the season on its home course.

If the first competition of the season or playing on its home course wasn’t enough to get the Spartans excited there was always the challenge of facing a defending state champion to get the competitive juices flowing.

It seemed to be the final one of those factors that caught Spartans’ attention on Wednesday.

Solon fired a 319 to win the team title at the team title at its own Solon Invitational by 17 strokes over defending Class 2A state champion West Branch on a gusty afternoon at Lake MacBride Golf Course in Solon.

“I think they knew they had to play well today knowing that West Branch was coming today,” Solon coach Adam Stahle said. “I was just extremely proud of them.”
Last season West Branch shot a 309 on the same course edging Solon by one stroke to win the team title.

The Bears went on to win the 2A state title while Solon finished runner-up in Class 3A.

On Wednesday the Spartans got a measure of redemption in an early-season meeting of two of the top small school squads in the state.

“I think we were really motivated today,” Solon junior Mac McCarty said. “We wanted to win this and we want to go back to state and win a state championship and this is the start of that.”

Solon had four of the top seven finishers on Wednesday all shooting 81 or better on a day that featured sustained winds of more than 20 miles per hour.

Senior Frank Haege Jr. earned runner-up honors joining teammate Jack McCarty and West Branch senior Brady Knoop with a 79.

“It was three or four club wind. It was unreal,” Haege said. “To shoot a 319, our low last year was 310 so to shoot a 319 in this is pretty good. We will definitely take it.”

McCarty was fourth with his 79 while Mac McCarty was sixth with an 80 and freshman Isiah Zoske was one stroke back in seventh with an 81.

According to Mac McCarty the key to the strong play in the opening round of the season for the Spartans can be found in the competition.

“I’d say playing someone like (West Branch) makes me play better, I think we all do,” McCarty said. “If you are playing someone that’s not as good you don’t focus as well but when you are playing with good players you have to keep up with them and I think that’s where everyone was today.”

The defending 2A champion Bears had their own solid day.

Led by the third-place finish from Knoop West Branch had a trio of golfers finish in the top 10.

Dylan Countryman and Will Bridges each shot 83 to finish ninth and tenth respectively.

“We have the upmost respect for West Branch and what they do, they are a great program so for us to compete against them challenges us,” Stahle said. “I think everyone on our team understood that we knew West Branch was coming in and they have great players and we had to play well and through the weather conditions today I couldn’t be more proud.”

The howling mind and periodic rain showers made for a challenging day.

It didn’t seem to affect Solon which was only nine strokes off its total from last season at its home meet.

“319 is a good score today,” Stahle said. “I would tell you that we have aspirations for better scores down the road but out of the gate with the conditions today absolutely 319 is an excellent score.”

The wind didn’t relent as the day went on but Haege and other golfers were able to make adjustments to the conditions.

Haege closed with two birdies on his final four holes, playing one under par during that stretch, to close with a 40 after an opening-nine 39.

“I try to focus on how much of a club wind it is, on six I had an eight iron and was 40 yards short and clubbed up to six and hit it on the green,” Haege said. “You have to read and react on a day like this.”

Regina junior Mikey Takacs earned medalist honors firing a six-over-par 78.

After a triple bogey on the par-four first, Takacs played the final 17 holes three over par including a two-over effort on the final nine.

“The hardest part for me was definitely standing on the tee box with the wind ripping into my face,” Takacs said. “I knew if I hit the ball straight it would stay straight but if I missed it a little bit it would be all over the place so it was just having confidence off the tee.”

Solon Invitational

At Lake MacBride Golf Course

Team scores – 1. Solon 319; 2. West Branch 336; 3. West Liberty 359; 4. Tipton 360; 5. Williamsburg 364; 6. Wilton 385; 7. Durant 419; 8. Regina 438

Individual leaders – 1. Mikey Takacs (ICR) 40-38 – 78; 2. Frank Haege Jr. (SOL) 39-40 – 79; 3. Brady Knoop (WB) 38-41 – 79; 4. Jack McCarty (SOL) 41-38 – 79; 5. Bob Ryan (TIP) 41-39 – 80; 6. Mac McCarty (SOL) 39-41 – 80; 7. Isaiah Zoske (SOL) 40-41 – 81; 8. Ty Jones (WL) 42-40 – 82; 9. Dylan Countryman (WB) 40-43– 83; 10. Will Bridges (WB) 43-40 – 83

Solon (319) – Frank Haege Jr. 39-40 – 79; Jack McCarty 41-38 – 79; Mac McCarty 39-41 – 80; Isaiah Zoske 40-41 – 81; Brennan Heesch 44-42 – 86; Nate Miller 47-47 – 94

West Branch (336) – Brady Knoop 38-41 – 79; Dylan Countryman 40-43– 83; Will Bridges 43-40 – 83; Gage Gingerich 48-43 – 91; Logan Highly 49-47 – 96; Cameron Gingerich 60-53 – 113

Regina (438) – Mikey Takacs 40-38 – 78; Noah Clark 61-55 – 116; Lincoln Dardis 59-61 – 120; Steven Lin 64-60 – 124; Alex Paul 67-61 – 128; John Manjoine 80-67 – 147

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