Golfers put together two strong meets

MEDFORD GOLF

The foregone conclusion became official Monday at Medford’s Black River Golf Course, where the Lakeland Thunderbirds clinched their third straight Great Northern Conference title by winning the season’s sixth league meet.

As usual, it wasn’t close.

Lakeland carded a team score of 312 to win its sixth straight GNC meet of 2021 and 20th straight overall. The Thunderbirds held a 30-stroke advantage over Monday’s runner-up, Antigo and opened up an 8.5-point lead in the team standings over second-place Mosinee, making them mathematically impossible to catch in the GNC’s seventh and final meet, coming up Friday at Northwood Golf Club in Rhinelander.

The most interesting team battles Friday will be for third and fifth place. Antigo holds a 26.5-25 lead over Northland Pines for third, while Medford has an 18-17 lead over Rhinelander for fifth.

Medford took that one-point lead over the Hodags Monday with its fifth-place finish on Monday. The Raiders’ team score of 355 was its best in an 18-hole meet this season, beating their previous best of 363 just two days earlier at the Stanley-Boyd Invitational. The Raiders beat Rhinelander (382) and Tomahawk (464) in Monday’s meet.

Mosinee and Northland Pines tied for third with 350s.

Junior Caleb Heckel remained in line for at least an honorable mention award in the conference with a solid round of 85, which was good for eighth place on the day. He had consistent rounds of 42 and 43 on the par-36, nine-hole course. With 9.33 individual points, Heckel sits in 11th place, two points out of 10th place and a spot on the All-GNC second team.

Freshman Connor Lingen was part of a four-way tie for 10th place with his 18-hole score of 86 (40-46). With 3.25 points, he sits in 14th place with a shot at honorable

Medford’s Riley Viergutz swings through his tee shot on the eighth hole during Monday’s GNC meet.

mention.

Freshman Riley Viergutz had his best day of the season, shooting a 91 (44-47) on the home course. He parred six holes and birdied the par-3 ninth on his second round. Senior Colton Gowey had a solid day, shooting a 93 (46-47). Lucas Liske didn’t have his best day with 108, but he did birdie the par-5 fifth hole during his first round of 48.

Lakeland’s Kaeden Nomm tied Antigo’s Joe Volpentesta for meet medalist honors. Both shot 76s. Nomm widened his lead over his T-Bird teammate Cody Olson in the race for GNC Player of the Year. Olson finished third Monday at 77, one shot behind the co-leaders. Nomm has 50.5 points, while Olson has 46, six ahead of the third-place Volpentesta, all of whom are assured of All-GNC first-team honors.

Matt Haggart of Lakeland jumped into fifth place overall with his fourth-place score of 79 on Monday. He has 29.5 points, just ahead of sixth-place Koldyn Gechas of Rhinelander (28.25). Mosinee’s Toren Holtz goes into the final meet in fourth place with 34 points. He tied for sixth place Monday with his teammate Parker Craft. They shot 82s. Lakeland’s Jack Rubo was fifth Monday with an 80 and he sits in seventh place overall with 24 points, two ahead of Craft.

Before closing out GNC play Friday, Medford is at the Northwestern Invitational today, Thursday, which gives the Raiders a chance to learn Hidden Greens North Golf Course in Solon Springs. That will be the site of the WIAA Division 2 regional meet on June 1.

The regular season is scheduled to end Tuesday when Medford and Prentice visit Tomahawk for a varsity and JV nine-hole triangular at Inshalla Country Club.

GNC #5 Medford placed sixth at Friday’s GNC meet hosted by Northland Pines at the Eagle River Golf Course.

The Raiders finished with a team score of 370, one shot behind Rhinelander. Lakeland’s 317 easily beat Mosinee (352), Northland Pines (359) and Antigo (362).

Heckel was part of a three-way tie for 10th with his 17-over-par 88. He was 9-over-par with a 45 on the front nine and 8-over with his 43 on the back nine. Heckel had just one seven on his card, a triple bogey on the par-4 second hole, and three sixes. Everything else was five and under.

Lingen was one shot behind with his 89 (46-43). Other than an eight on hole two, a seven on the par-4 16th and a six on the par-4 first hole, he was five and under on everything else in a strong outing.

Liske shot a 96 (48-48) that included a birdie on the par-3 13th hole. Gowey was right behind Liske with his 97 (46-51) and Viergutz shot a 112.

Nomm (72), Haggart (76) and Olson (81) gave Lakeland a sweep of the top three spots. Gechas was fourth with his 82 and Holtz and Craft tied for fifth at 84.

Third on Saturday

The Raiders turned in their best outing of the year to that point with a third-place score of 363 at Saturday’s Stanley-Boyd Invitational, which was played at Cadott’s Whispering Pines Golf Course.

McDonell-Regis, who is in the Division 2 sectional field, ran away with the team win with a 324. Marathon was four shots ahead of Medford, while Eleva-Strum as fourth, two shots behind the Raiders.

All five Raiders kept their final score under triple digits, led by Lingen’s 13-over-par 85. Sevens on the first two holes were the only slight setback for him as he shot a 44 on the front nine, including a birdie on the par-5 seventh, and a 5-over-par 41 on the back half.

Heckel shot an 89 (45-44) with his entire card consisting of six or under scores. Gowey shot a 94, Liske had a 95 and Viergutz came in at 96.

Andrew Bauer of McDonell-Regis shot a 1-over-par 73 to edge Eleva-Strum’s Nick Higley by a stroke and win the individual championship. Sam Dobbins of La Crosse Aquinas and Ben Biskupski of McDonell-Regis tied for third with 77s, one shot ahead of Marathon’s Noah Gage.

MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS