KSHSAA Covered
At Mariah Hills Golf Course, Dodge City
RED-HOT FINISH PROPELS ELKHART’S HIGGINS TO DAY 1 LEAD
A career round sent Elkhart’s Bodie Higgins atop the Day 1 leaderboard at Mariah Hills.
The Wildcat senior fired a 4-under-par 67 to enter the second round with a one-shot lead over reigning champion Gavin Wahl from South Gray.
After two bogeys and two birdies on the front nine, Higgins shot a sizzling 31 on the back nine with four birdies.
He sank a long birdie putt on 18 to cap his first high school round in the 60s.
Wahl’s round was nearly as impressive. He was 1 under through the first nine, highlighted by an eagle on No. 6 to offset a pair of bogeys. He finished the back nine with no bogeys and wo birdies, closing his round of 68 with a birdie on 18 like Higgins.
South Gray’s 29-tournament winning streak is being threatened with the team race turning into a three-way battle between the two-time defending champion Rebels, Hutchinson Central Christian and Elkhart.
Central Christian leads the team standings with a 318, followed by Elkhart at 320 and South Gray at 323. South Gray and 2022 champion Central Christian have combined for the last three team titles in 1A while Elkhart is searching for its first title in program history.
Ry Kooiman, the 2022 individual champion as a freshman, sits in fifth place for Central Christian with a 2-over 73. Cael Kooiman, last year’s runner-up, is eighth with a 77. Nathan Reed (82) and Tyler Reed (86) are in 12th and 24th for the Cougars, respectively.
Senior Cameron Wahl (72) is fourth for South Gray but the Wahls are the only two Rebels currently in the top 30.
Elkhart has three in the top 11 with Higgins, Murray Houtz (9th, 80) and Gavin Schumacher (11th, 82).
Washington County (341), Onaga (374) and South Central (378) also qualified their teams for Day 2.
Ashland’s Cord Kellenberger is third with an even-par 71, four shots off the lead. Other golfers in the top 10 include Bishop Seabury’s Jace Hoffman (sixth, 75), Kiowa County’s Sawyer Campbell (seventh, 76) and Centre’s Easton Glessner (81).
With thunderstorms in the forecast for late afternoon/early evening, Wednesday’s second round will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a shotgun start.