Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Last season was the breakthrough for City High’s Jack Rogers.

Rogers closed his breakout sophomore season with a bang earning medalist honors at a Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Divisional meet and the state qualifying meet before finishing in a tie for fourth place at the Class 4A state meet last October.

Thus far, the follow up season for Rogers has been even more impressive.

Rogers continued an impressive start to his junior season last week shoot a two-under-par 70 to in a fifth-place finish at the loaded Warrior Invitational at Saddleback Ridge Golf Course in Solon.

“After last year I was just expecting myself to finish higher and play better this season,” Rogers said. “Last year really gave me the confidence that I could play with anyone in the state and it has just propelled my game.”

Rogers closed his sophomore season playing the best golf of his young career.

He shot a four-over-par 146 at the 36-hole state meet last season at Otter Creek Golf Course in Ankeny closing with an even-par 71.

Rogers joined West Des Moines Valley sophomore Braeden Nelson as the only underclassmen to finish in the Class 4A top five.

The progress continued for Rogers during a strong summer offseason and has spilled over into his junior season.

“Going into this year I was mainly focusing on getting a bit more distance,” Rogers said. “I’ve been hitting it well, I tweaked my putting to get that dialed in for this season so it was mostly just adding distance and getting the putting dialed in.”

The added distance for Rogers came with offseason work but also with growing up.

A taller, bigger and stronger Rogers has noticed the added distance during his strong start this season that includes shooting a pair of 68s.

“Most of adding the distance is just natural, getting a little bigger and older and being able to swing it a little faster,” Rogers said. “That definitely helps.”

What has also helped Rogers this season is confidence.

Ending last season with a state medal has Rogers wanting more this season.

It also has the City High junior believing he was capable of more in his final two prep seasons.

“There are some times when you question, ‘can I really play at this level?’ when you aren’t swinging it well,” Rogers said. “It’s super hard to stay dialed in mentally when you aren’t playing well so just having those accomplishments to look back on helps me stay in it when things aren’t going how I want them to.”

So far this fall Rogers hasn’t had many moments when things aren’t going the way he wants.

Rogers shot a 68 to win the season-opening MVC Super Meet at Gardner Golf Course in Marion and added a 68 to win Linn-Mar Invitational at Hunters Ridge Golf Course.

His fifth-place finish at the Warrior Invite last Thursday was the third top-five finish in four events this season for Rogers.

“I really want to be in contention at the state tournament but playing one day at a time,” Rogers said. “Our goal is to win the conference but we want to make it to state, do well at state and it’s a process and you have to trust that process.

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