Golfers win 5th straight regional title; to make 9th straight state appearance

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Emily George

Members of the boys golf team display their regional championship trophy at Smoky Hill Country Club on May 15.

Five golfers came away with medalist honors as Hays cruised to the Class 4A Regional Tournament Championship on May 15 at Smoky Hill Country Club.

The tournament is the fifth consecutive year the Indians have won regionals and the ninth straight time the golfers will appear at the state tournament.

Hays ended up with a score of 321 on the part 71 course, 45 strokes better than Larned with a 366. Goodland finished a distant third with a 389, followed by Ulysses with a 399. Other scores were Colby 406, Holcomb, 413, Scott City 415, and Nickerson 515. Pratt was also in attendance but did not have enough to field a team.

Individually, junior Allen Zollinger fired a 78 to place second, while sophomores Tradgon McCrae and Josh Norris locked up second and third with a 79 and 80, respectively. Senior Justin McCullick carded an 84 for seventh, while junior Peyton Kieffer ended up with eighth medalist with an 85 after winning a one-hole playoff. Rounding out the team scores and just outside the top 10 in 12th place was senior Brent Koenigsman with a 92.

The state tournament will take place on May 22 at the Wamego Country Club which the Indians will defend their state title.