Photo by Jeff Yoder / WAMAC meet photo gallery

Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SOLON – A bogey on the final hole stopped Lucas TePoel short of breaking 80 for the first time in his career last month at the Solon Invitational.

The Solon sophomore wasn’t about to suffer a similar fate on Monday.

TePoel fired a two-over-par on the back nine and shot a career-low 78 on his way to a 13th place finish at the WAMAC Conference Super Meet at Saddleback Ridge Golf Course in Solon.

“Normally I am pretty good off the tee and I struggle to chip but I feel like I put it together today and I was good everywhere,” TePoel said. “I made it happen today.”

TePoel shot an 81 during his freshman season and came a late par away from 79 at the Solon Invite at Lake MacBride golf course in his first 18-hole meet of his sophomore season.

He entered the biggest meet of the season still searching for that elusive round in the 70s.

TePoel used a strong finish that included four pars and a pair of birdies over his final nine holes to better his career best round by two strokes on Monday.

“It feels good to be honest,” TePoel said. “To know that you have the pressure on you and you can take that and still shoot your best round, that feels good.”

The 78 from TePoel earned the sophomore first team all-conference honors and helped Solon to a seventh-place team finish with a 332.

West Delaware won the team title with a 306, five shots in front of runner-up Marion and 10 shots better than defending WAMAC champion and two-time defending state champ Central DeWitt.

“Our conference is one of, if not the best conference, we the have two-time defending state champion and four teams that can probably make it to state,” Solon coach Adam Stahle said. “Overall I was very pleased. I think that might have been one of our better 18-hole rounds of the year. I still think we have room for improvement but that’s what you expect with a young team.”

Defending WAMAC runner-up Brandon McCarty shot a 78 to lead Clear Creek Amana as the Clippers placed 11th with a 353.

McCarty opened up with a 41 but closed by shooting a one-over-par 37 on the back nine to finish in 12th place and earn first team all-conference honors.

“After the front nine I was a little mad so I just stopped thinking and just swung it,” McCarty said. “I made some putts on the back but I still missed some makeable ones. I just struggled with the putter today.”

TePoel was three over after his opening two holes but rebounded to shoot a 40 on the front nine.

He closed with a 38 on the back that included back-to-back birdies on the par-five 15th and 16th to that pulled him even on the back nine.

TePoel finished with eight pars and three birdies, adding a birdy on the par-three eighth.

“I started off a little rough today but I just kept going with some pars and made a few birdies here and there,” TePoel said. “My short game was actually really good. My chipping and my approaches were probably the best part of my game today, I just put it together really well.”

Not only was the 78 for TePoel a career best but it was 15 strokes better than he shot at the WAMAC Super Meet last season as a freshman.

“It’s really nice to see good things happen to kids that work really hard,” Stahle said. “He has put in a lot of effort, he is enjoying the hard work and it came in the biggest meet of the year and that’s awesome for him.”

WAMAC Conference Super Meet

Team scores – 1. West Delaware 306; 2. Marion 311; 3. Central DeWitt 316; 4. Willimabusrg 316; 5. Independence 323; 6. Benton Community 329; 7. Solon 332; 8. Vinton-Shellsburg 343; 9. Center Point-Urbana 346; 10. Mount Vernon 350; 11. Clear Creek Amana 353; 12. Maquoketa 358; 13. South Tama 361; Dyersville Beckman 367

Individual leaders – 1. Brandon Larson (WD) 36-34 – 70; 2. Gavin Soppen (WD) 36-37 – 73; 3. Mark Horcher (MAR) 38-36 – 74; 4. Kaden Howard (IND) 36-40 – 76; 5. Sam Adams (MV) 37-40 – 77; 6. Caiden Atienza (MAQ) 38-39 – 77; 7. Nate Ettleman (BC) 37-40 – 77; 8. Ty Buresh (WIL) 36-41 – 77; 9. Tucker Kinney (CD) 37-40 – 77; 10. Jacob Brainerd (CD) 35-43 – 78; 11. Broc Shaw (V-S) 41-37 – 78; 12. Brandon McCarty (CCA) 41-37 – 78; 13. Lucas TePoel (SOL) 40-38 – 78; 14. Ryan Cavett (WIL) 41-37 – 78; 15. Ethan Fox (IND) 40-38 – 78; 16. Dylan Burns (WIL) 38-40 – 78; 17. Dane Christensen (MAR) 39-40 – 79; 18. Austin Prier (MAR) 40-39 – 79; 19. Tyler Langel (WD) 40-39 – 79; 20. Brady Johnson (MAR) 38-41 – 79; 21. Logan Hiler (MAR) 39-41 – 80; 22. Dylan McAleer (CD) 41-39 – 80; 23. Ben Parmenter (BC) 42-39 – 81; 24. Drew Eden (CD) 39-42 – 81; 25. Stetson McIlravy (SOL) 38-43 – 81

Solon (332) – Lucas TePoel 40-38 – 78; Joe Stahle 44-42 – 86; Stetson McIlravy 38-43 – 81; Jake VanRoekel 44-43 – 87; Luke VanRoekel 42-47 – 89; Nate Miller 50-51 – 101

Clear Creek Amana (353) – Brandon McCarty 41-37 – 78; Ryan Navara 40-48 – 88; Isaac Quinn 46-48 – 94; Kaden Gisleson 48-51 – 99; Nolan Schwarting 49-46 – 95; Cole Liebe 49-44 – 93

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