Your Prep Sports

West Branch is headed back to the state golf meet and this time the Bears enter as one of the favorites.

A year after placing eighth at the nine-team Class 2A state meet West Branch enters with the lowest score among state qualifying teams after firing a 304 on Friday on its way to a district title at Heritage Oaks Golf Course in Wapello.

Five West Branch players shot 79 better on Friday as the Bears finished six strokes clear of runner-up Williamsburg to claim the team title.

Senior Brady Lukavsky and freshman Brady Knoop each shot a 74 to lead West Branch while freshman Dylan Country shot a 77.

Kaleb Sexton and Ted Bridges each shot a 79 for the Bears.

The two-day Class 2A state tournament opens May 23 at 10:30 a.m. and concludes on May 24 at American Legion Memorial Golf Course in Marshalltown.

West Branch shot a two-day score of 643 last season to finish eighth at the state meet.

Defending state champion Carroll Kuemper had the third-best district score among state qualifiers with a 312 while last year’s fourth-place finisher Des Moines Christian carded a 318 on Friday.

Regina junior Nic Hein qualified for the state meet as an individual shooting a three-over par 75 on Friday.

Class 2A District Meet

Team scores – 1. West Branch 304; 2. Williamsburg 310; 3. Mid-Prairie 320; 4. PCM 324; 5. Wilton 326; 6. Tipton 333; 7. Durant 353; 8. Van Buren 359; 9. Mediapolis 418

Individual leaders – 1. Dylan Burns (WBG) 35-37 – 72; 2. Noah Schlabaugh (M-P) 39-35 – 74; 3. Brady Lukavsky (WB) 37-37 – 74; 4. Brady Knoop (WB) 37-37 – 74; 5. Jared Townsend (WIL) 35-40 – 75; 6. Nic Hein (ICR) 37-38 – 75

West Branch (304) – Brady Lukavsky 37-37 – 74; Brady Knoop 37-37 – 74; Dylan Countryman 39-38 – 77; Kaleb Sexton 37-42 – 79; Ted Bridges 38-41 – 79; Evan O’Neil 43-44 – 87