Seniors Croco and Collier Help West High Reach State Golf Meet With Runner-up District Finish
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
CORALVILLE – One week and a slight tweak made all the difference for Dillon Croco and the West High boys golf team.
Croco shot an 80 as West High carded a 324 in a fifth-place finish at the eight-team Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Divisional last week.
A small swing tweak by Croco paid big dividends for the Trojan senior as West High made an impressive improvement in a single week.
Croco fired a five-under-par 66 to win the individual title helping West High secure its first trip to the state golf meet since 2009 with a runner-up finish at the Class 4A district meet at Brown Deer Golf Course in Coralville on Monday.
“Over the last week I made a little bit of a swing change, I just kind of slowed my swing down a little bit and I started to hit a lot more targets,” Croco said. “I think I only missed one or two greens today. I was putting well and it helps that I know this course pretty well.”
Senior Cole Collier shot an even-par 71 to finish eighth overall as West High shot a 293 on Monday to finish four strokes back of team champion Dubuque Wahlert.
Pleasant Valley shot a 294 and won a fifth-score tiebreaker over North Scott to earn the third and final spot at the 4A state meet which is scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Otter Creek Golf Course in Ankeny
“I would not say this was expected,” Collier said. “I knew it could happen but I was not counting on it for sure. It feels great, it’s a huge shock and just being able to go to state is super exciting.”
It was an improbable and improved performance for West High which was ranked 26th in the combined adjusted team average entering the postseason.
West High entered with the sixth best adjusted team average among state qualifying meet teams trailing Pleasant Valley, Dubuque Wahlert, Liberty High, North Scott and Bettendorf.
West High finished a stroke in front of Pleasant Valley and North Scott while Liberty High was fifth with a 301 and Indianola and Bettendorf each shot 308.
“We came in sixth and I thought we might be close and get to fourth or fifth place but they surprised me,” West High coach Don Bristow said. “I am very happy for them.”
The key for West High on Monday was confidence.
That confidence came in part from playing at a familiar course at Brown Deer.
“Playing here, it definitely helps with my confidence,” Croco said. “I know that I don’t necessarily have to hit a fairway and I can still have a good shot. I am able to go with my gut feelings on the greens a little bit and it’s nice to feel at home a little bit.”
Croco started on the 14th hole and got hot early.
The West High senior birdied the par-three 14th and after a par at the par-five 14th posted another birdie on the 403-yard par-four 16th.
Croco got to four-under-par with back-to-back birdies on the first and second holes.
“It started four under through seven so I got out of the gate super hot and definitely helped take away a lot of the stress,” Croco said. “I was able to build myself a cushion right away and relax the rest of the round and kind of maintain.”
Croco didn’t have a bogey on Monday finishing with five birdies and 13 pars in his five-under-par round.
Jack Gomez of North Scott and Bock Mueller of Dubuque Wahlert each shot three-under-par to finish two strokes behind Croco.
Pleasant Valley junior and Bettendorf sophomore Evan Graham were each one under.
“It feels amazing,” Croco said. “I beat 89 other golfers today and some of the golfers here are the top guys in the state and that gives me a lot of confidence going into the state meet.”
Collier had his own impressive round on Monday finishing with three birdies, a bogey and a double bogey on the par-three fifth.
“I play here a lot, I know this course really well and it definitely helps a lot,” Collier said. “Today I played it different than I usually do, usually I’m out here having fun and taking more risky shots but I just played it really safe and I know it so well I felt like the birdies would come.”
Sophomore Jack MacLagan shot a 76 and sophomore Tate Genkinger fired an 80 for the Trojans.
“Our guys play here all the time,” Bristow said. “They play this course a lot and I think that helps. I’m just so happy for all of the guys.”
Class 4A State Qualifying Meet
At Brown Deer Golf Course
Team scores – 1. Dubuque Wahlert 289; 2. West High 293; 3. Pleasant Valley 294; 4. North Scott 294; 5. Liberty High 301; 6. Indianola 308; 7. Bettendorf 308; 8. Central DeWitt 318; 9. Davenport Assumption 321; 10. Muscatine 331; 11. Clinton 342; 12. Davenport North 343; 13. Burlington 347; 14. Davenport Central 349; 15. Davenport West 359
Individual leaders – 1. Dillon Croco (ICW) 34-32 – 66; 2. Jack Gomez (NS) 35-33 – 68; 3. Bock Mueller (DW) 33-35 – 68; 4. Ben Scranton (PV) 34-36 – 70; 5. Evan Graham (BET) 34-36 – 70; 6. Ben Dolter (DW) 35-36 – 71; 7. JJ Grimm (ICL) 36-35 – 71; 8. Cole Collier (ICW) 36-35 – 71; 9. Max Froeschle (CD) 33-38 – 71; 10. Tomas Rascon (BUR) 36-37 – 73; 11. Ethan Blomme (PV) 36-38 – 74; 12. Tyler Santi (IND) 39-35 – 74; 13. Grant Sherrick (PV) 38-36 – 74; 14. Ryan Schmierer (ICL) 38-36 – 74; 15. Jonah Oberfoell (DW) 40-35 – 75
West High (293) – Dillon Croco 34-32 – 66; Cole Collier 36-35 – 71; Jack MacLagan 36-40 – 76; Tate Genkinger 40-40 – 80; Jack Jensen-Fitzpatrick 42-42 – 84; Emery Crawford 44-48 – 92
Liberty High (301) – JJ Grimm 36-35 – 71; Ryan Schmierer 38-36 – 74; Vaughn Tyler 38-40 – 78; Lucas Bartachek 40-38 – 78; Landon Peoples 41-41 – 82; Will Stoakes 45-42 – 87
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