Rain dance! Bison claim state golf crown

Steve Kodad/McCook Daily Gazette McCook High School senior Ben Vetrovsky chips onto the 18th green at the Kearney Country Club during opening-round play May 24 in the Class B boys state golf meet. Vetrovsky shot a 76 for fourth place in the individual medalist standings.

KEARNEY, Nebraska -- Competitors at the Nebraska State High School Class B Boys Golf Championships faced a crazy day in the opening 18 holes of play Tuesday, May 24.

The tournament started with a two-hour rain delay on the state meet course at the Kearney Country Club. Golfers faced windy conditions most of the day. One of the more crazy aspects of Tuesday's first-day competition came at the end of the round, as pre-meet favorite Scottsbluff wasn't sitting atop the leader board.

That spot belonged to McCook. The Bison did not shoot as low as they wanted or were capable of, but neither did the defending Class B state champion Bearcats.

Steve Kodad/McCook Daily Gazette Bison freshman Mack Alspaugh watches his putt roll toward the hole as he completes his round May 24 at the Class B boys state golf meet at the Kearney Country Club. Alspaugh shot an 82 to finish in a tie for 17th. Rain washed out the second round of the state meet scheduled Wednesday, May 25, meaning McCook -- leading Scottsbluff by a single stroke after Tuesday's action -- claims the 2011 Class B state title.

McCook ended the first 18 holes with a low team total of 322 strokes, one shot better than Scottsbluff. Omaha Skutt Catholic lurked close behind in third with a 329.

Here's something even more crazy -- after heavy rains overnight in the Kearney area, followed by the threat of more rain Wednesday, the Nebraska School Activities Association and Kearney Country Club officials decided to cancel Wednesday's final 18 holes. An update on the NSAA web site said the second round was cancelled due to unplayable conditions.

That means the results of Tuesday's 18 holes stand as final results, and the Bison will bring home the 2011 Class B state championship.

McCook has now won eight Class B state titles since 1990, and this year was the first since back-to-back state championships in 2003-04.

In the Class B state meet, each of the 12 teams that qualified by finishing in the top three spots in their respective district meets are allowed to enter a total of five individuals. The tournament is contested over two days, with 18 holes played each day. Medals are awarded to the top 10 individuals, and the team standings are determined by adding the low four individual scores from each day's round.

With Wednesday's second and final round washed out, Tuesday's opening 18 holes will serve as the official state meet final standings.

Bison individual scores

Ben Vetrovsky led McCook Tuesday with rounds of 37 and 39 for an 18-hole score of 76 strokes. Vetrovsky, a senior, tied for fourth in the individual standings. Sophomore Sean Backer shot rounds of 38 and 41 Tuesday for a 79 to tie for 10th. Freshman Mack Alspaugh put together two rounds of 41 each for an 82 to finish tied for 17th.

McCook's two other players struggled a bit Tuesday. Senior Drew Shields shot 43-42 -- 85 to tie for 30th, and Cory Dallam had a 44-45 -- 89 to tie for 50th.

The Bison won't give the state meet first-place trophy back, but they would have rather went out Wednesday and played the final 18 holes.

"All season long we've played in adverse conditions," Haney said Tuesday in an interview following the opening 18 holes. "We're prepared to play, even though we have a lead today. We're prepared to play, we're prepared to get on the all-weather gear and come out and go 18 holes. It's something that we're going to have to mentally and physically gear up for and be prepared to get up in the morning and be out here and just basically mud it, mud it through.

"I hope we do play (Wednesday). In fairness to the tournament, in fairness to the kids, I think that it would do all the kids more justice if we do play."

Familiar foes

McCook and Scottsbluff have met multiple times this spring, with the defending state champion Bearcats topping the Bison every time -- until Tuesday's state meet. Scottsbluff shot a 296 at the Class B-4 District meet last week in their backyard at the Monument Shadows course in Gering. McCook was runner-up with a 310.

Scottsbluff's outstanding duo of sophomore Andrew Holloway and senior Erik Krzyzanowski have consistently shot par or under in nearly every meet this season.

Until Tuesday.

Holloway, defending Class B individual champion, shot a 66 to win the B-4 district title. In Tuesday's opening 18 holes at state, Holloway struggled with rounds of 39 and 39 for a 78 total to finish tied for seventh. Krzyzanowski fired a 72 at districts, good for second place. He shot 73 at state Tuesday with rounds of 34 and 39, placing second three strokes behind individual champ Brady Vancura of Columbus Scotus.

Konnor Oltman of Norris finished third with a 73, with McCook's Vetrovsky and Caleb Tretheway of Crete each shooting 74 to tie for fourth.

Scottsbluff's third shooter, Michael Hadden, carded an 83 Tuesday to tie for 21st. Hadden shot a 77 at districts and finished seventh in the final district standings. The Bearcats slipped in the last two spots Tuesday at state, as Curtis Welsh had an 89 and Matthew Dehaven shot a 91.

One key stroke

Ben Vetrovsky can probably be considered the leader of the Bison team. In an interview after Tuesday's state meet action, Vetrovsky talked about expecting Scottsbluff to come back strong Wednesday. He also talked about the importance of making every stroke count -- very ironic considering Wednesday morning's cancellation that gave the Bison the state title by a single stroke.

"We didn't play exceptionally well (Tuesday), but as a core group, we've got a one-stroke lead going into (Wednesday), so it's very exciting, very exciting."

"The proof's in the pudding (pointing to the Kearney Country Club scoreboard) -- every stroke counts. You've got to hunker down every stroke, you've got to fight every stroke. As you see up on the board, one stroke -- you've only got to win by one."

Team chemistry

The Bison coach likes the camaraderie displayed by his golfers all season, and now the McCook squad own another state championship trophy.

"We have a real close-knit group. We have six kids here who are real tight," Haney said. "Like I said in the past, they want to compete against each other. They definitely want to beat each other and they want to beat each other night after night. But they really do like each other, and that's a great thing to have.

"When our players finish one-by-one and roll in, they group up, they get together, they go support the kids that are coming in. As a coach you can't ask for anything better than that."

With a one-stroke victory margin for the state title, each Bison will have a hand in hoisting their state championship trophy.

NEBRASKA STATE HIGH SCHOOL

At Kearney Country Club

Tuesday Final Results

Note: Wednesday's 18 Holes Rained Out, Meet Shortened to 18 Holes

Team Standings

Top 20 Individual Leaders

McCook Individual Scores

Scottsbluff Individual Scores