SOUTH BEND — There’s a new king on the throne of boys high school golf in South Bend and Mishawaka, and it may be just beginning a long reign.
Say hello to coach Jerry Janowski’s Trinity School at Greenlawn Titans, who Monday left South Bend Saint Joseph, Mishawaka Marian and Penn in their wake with their 302 total to win the Indiana High School Athletic Association South Bend Sectional at the par-70, 5,940-yard Erskine Park Golf Course.
With No. 2 Dane Sweikar, one of three talented freshmen, shooting a one-over 71 to capture medalist honors, the Titans were nine strokes better than runner-up Saint Joseph (311), 13 ahead of Marian (315) and 20 strokes better than Northern Indiana Conference champion Penn (322).
Trinity, Saint Joseph and Marian will send their teams Thursday to the regional at Sandy Pines Golf Club in DeMotte, hoping to advance from there to the IHSAA state finals at Prairie View Golf Club in Carmel June 11-12. Elkhart junior Steven Webb (72) will be joined by two Kingsmen — senior Jack Yewchuck (74) and junior Michael Basney (77) — as individuals in the Sandy Pines regional field.
In just three seasons, Janowski’s Titans have made unbelievable progress. They served notice of their arrival in late April by beating the Kingsmen by seven strokes to capture the Morris Park C.C. Invitational, and they’ve made enough impressions around the state to finish 17th in the final Indiana High School Golf Coaches Association poll.
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“This is phenomenal; these kids have worked so hard,” Janowski said. “They are such good kids, they do great in school. Just to see the effort they put in and see it rewarded — it means everything to Trinity and these kids.”
The 15-year-old Sweikar, who overcame three bogeys and a double bogey with four birdies, shot a personal best with his one-over 71.
“You have to keep it in play on this course,” Sweikar said. “I hit a lot of fairways today and a lot of greens. I didn’t have to get too many up-and-downs today.”
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Janowski is excited about the strides Sweikar has made this season. “Dane scuffled at the beginning of the year,” he said. “He’s really started to play well the last couple of weeks. To shoot 71 today and to lead the team was great.”
Palmer, the Titans’ senior No. 1 who qualified for state a year ago, shot a 75 and wasn’t even the low in his house — freshman brother Nathan shot a 73. Senior Max Cressy shot an 83, one better than his freshman brother Jack.
It certainly didn’t hurt the Titans that they spent the day paired with Elkhart and South Bend Adams while Saint Joseph, Marian and Penn duked it out to see who would avoid being eliminated. “I do think that helped us,” Janowski said.
He will get no argument from Saint Joseph coach Bret Bajdek, whose Huskies were led by sophomore No. 2 Tate Guyton’s 74.
“There’s two schools of thought there,” Bajdek said. “If you play with better competition, you might play better, and if the competition isn’t, you can play a little looser. But take nothing away from Trinity — they’re good.”
And so are the Huskies, who finished second to Penn in the NIC season but got the best of the Kingsmen Monday with junior No. 1 Thomas Raster shooting 77 and junior No. 3 Beau Basney and senior No. 4 Jake Hirschler each shooting 80.
“We knew getting out was going to be tough — it was going to be a four-horse race,” Bajdek continued.
Coach Alex Stopczynski’s Knights had three players finish with rounds in the 70s, led by senior No. 3 Jackson Horvath’s 76 which was one stroke better than sophomore No. 1 John Hahn and three better than sophomore No. 2 AJ Bishop.
“It’s definitely nice to be getting out,” Stopczynski said. “Another tournament and another player stepping up. Two weeks ago at the NIC, it was Ben (Padrnos) shooting a 73. Today it was Jackson shooting a 76. Any of them can do it. I’m happy a senior did it and we get to play another day.”
Senior No. 1 Dylan Mounts struggled on the Erskine greens and shot an 86, one stroke behind sophomore No. 3 Corbin O’Hara for coach Tony Polizzotto’s Kingsmen who did manage to hold off Elkhart for fourth place based on a lower fifth man’s score.
SOUTH BEND RILEY SECTIONAL
Results from Monday’s Indiana High School Athletic Association boys golf sectional No. 4 at the par-70, 5,940-yard Erskine Park Golf Course. The top three teams and top three individuals not on those qualifying teams move on to the Lake Central Regional No. 1 Thursday, June 6 at Sandy Pines Golf Club in DeMotte:
Qualifying teams
1. TRINITY SCHOOL AT GREENLAWN (302): Jacob Palmer 75, Dane Sweikar 71, Nathan Palmer 73, Jack Cressy 84, Max Cressy 83.
2. SOUTH BEND SAINT JOSEPH (311): Thomas Raster 77, Tate Guyton 74, Beau Basney 80, Jake Hirschler 80, Joey Borsodi 87.
3. MISHAWAKA MARIAN (315): John Hahn 77, AJ Bishop 79, Jackson Horvath 76, Ben Padrnos 85, Jacob Padrnos 83.
Qualifying individuals
1. Steven Webb (Elkhart) 72; 2. Jack Yewchuk (Penn) 74; 3. Michael Basney (Penn) 77.
Did not qualify as teams
4. PENN (322): Dylan Mounts 86, Jack Yewchuk 74, Corbin O’Hara 85, Colten Donze 88, Michael Basney 77.
5. ELKHART (322): Steven Wade 72, Will Cochrane 80, Ben Miller 83, Nate Windy 87, Cameron Miller 93.
6. SOUTH BEND ADAMS (358): Liam Kinney 83, Tommy Hornback 95, Atticus Hunter 94, Owen McNally 86, Leo Sweazy 99.
7. MISHAWAKA (359): Brady Fisher 85, Aiden Szeltner 89, Bren Dickerson 97, Kaden Smith 90, Anderson Cannon 95.
8. JIMTOWN (430): Tatsu Gravender 96, Nick Hoffman 110, Nate Crosbie 114, Rory Rantz 114, Leighton Gingerich 110.
9. SOUTH BEND RILEY (434): Lleyton White 107, Troy Smith 92, Anthony Schmok 122, Isaac Riem 121, Henry Ponder 114.
10. SOUTH BEND WASHINGTON (474): Lavier Smith 116, Robert Caradine 116, Eric Bailey 120, Tyrin Reed 123, Dejaun Jones 122.
T11. LAVILLE (NS): Liam Stough 129, Adam Ashenbrenner NC.
T11. SOUTH BEND CLAY (NS): Noah Fernandez 98.
Host Warsaw and Plymouth advance to regional golf at Stonehenge
COLUMBIA CITY – Robbie Finlinson shot a three-over 75 to lead the Warsaw Tigers to a 311 total and the championship of the Warsaw boys golf sectional Monday at the par-72, 6,125-yard Eagle Glen Golf Club.
Austin Craig shot 77 and Breckin Christner shot 78 with Quinton Fifer adding an 81 and Finn Bailey an 83 for coach Jack Carpenter’s Tigers, who will be the host of Thursday’s regional at Stonehenge Golf Club in Winona Lake.
The Tigers finished 13 strokes ahead of Northern Lakes Conference rival Plymouth. The Pilgrims were by Dan Nguyen’s 80 followed by 81s from Caleb Hartland and Easton Tapia, an 82 from O’Malley Holm and Ben Nguyen’s 89.
The third team advancing to Stonehenge for Thursday’s regional was Huntington North, which finished nine strokes behind Plymouth with a 333 total.
Northfield’s Easton Shaw won medalist honors at 75 by besting Finlinson in a playoff.
WARSAW SECTIONAL
Results from Monday’s Indiana High School Athletic Association boys golf sectional No. 8 at the par-72, 6,125-yard Eagle Glen Golf Club in Columbia City. The top three teams and top three individuals not on those qualifying teams move on to the Warsaw Regional No. 2 Thursday, June 6 at Stonehenge Golf Club in Winona Lake:
Qualifying teams
1. WARSAW (311): Austin Craig 77, Breckin Christner 78, Robbie Finlinson 75, Finn Bailey 83, Quinton Fifer 81.
2. PLYMOUTH (324): Dan Nguyen 80, O’Malley Holm 82, Caleb Hartland 81, Easton Tapia 81, Ben Nguyen 89.
3. HUNTINGTON NORTH (333): Javin Gray 81, Griffin Husband 83, Kamden Lahr 84, Dalton Hoch 85, Ceaten Brubaker 85.
Qualifying individuals
1. Easton Shaw (Northfield) 75; 2. Tyson Baer (Northfield) 76; 3. Connor Trump (Manchester) 81.
Did not qualify as teams
4. CULVER ACADEMIES (336): Rory Sullivan 92, Kyle Lee 82, Grady Sullivan 88, Jak Chaney 85, Manolo Mariscal Osorio 81.
5. NORTHFIELD (338): Tyson Baer 76, Easton Shaw 75, Tristan Hoffman 92, Gavin Brainard 95, Ryder Schram 98.
6. WAWASEE (343): Myles Everingham 83, Maddux Everingham 83, Preston Scherer 93, Mason Shoemaker 97, Weston DeLong 84.
7. TIPPECANOE VALLEY (356): Wes Parker 84, Eli Love 86, Ethan Young 96, Nash Bouse 90, Thad Shambaugh 121.
8. MANCHESTER (370): Connor Trump 81, Luke Gish 93, Preston Duffy 111, Caleb Sautter 100, Logan Eastgate 96.
9. TRITON (385): Tucker Worsham 92, Landon Patrick 97, Connor Olesen 102, Benjamin Waymouth 94, Gavin Riffle 108.
10. WHITKO (433): Noah Burnworth 102, Keaton Cornell 97, Kyler Krull 124, Kazuhiro Oh 112, Isaac Long 122.
11. CULVER (NS): Aleks Stacy 115.