Comets golfer advance to districts after placing 2nd at sectionals

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

DECORAH — So much for compliments.

When Charles City senior Drew Mitchell placed his approach shot within six feet of the pin on Oneota Golf and Country Club’s ninth hole, someone remarked, “Nice shot, Drew.”

Mitchell replied, “No it’s not” just as the ball rolled away from the hole like it was  propelled by a same-pole magnetic force before stopping on the fringe of the green.

Such was the fate of many shots that landed on Oneota’s ninth green, which is as flat as a saddle and is where three- and four-putts go to thrive.

“And where they placed the pin makes it even more of a challenge,” Charles City boys golf coach Dave Williams said.

During his final hole of the Class 3A Sectional Friday at Oneota, Mitchell managed to leave his 25-foot, uphill putt close enough to sink it on the next shot to salvage an 18-hole 95 score.

But the Comets wouldn’t need it.

With Charles City junior Carter Klatt matching his career-best 87 score originally set the Saturday before during the Hampton-Dumont Invitational; sophomore Jackson Molstead continuing to shoot well at Oneota with an 87 of his own; junior Theo Arndt (89) and senior Nate Lasher (91) rounding out the scoring with Carter Johanningmeier (94) in the hole for a tiebreaker if needed, the Comets shot 354 as a team, good enough for second place and to qualify them to the Class 3A Manchester District, Friday at Pine Oaks Links.

“I don’t know … I think it might be 1998,” Mitchell said of the last time Charles City’s boys golf team advanced to the second round of postseason.

Even Williams is not sure when it happened.

“Let’s just say 1998 and go with that,” Arndt suggested.

Though Williams wasn’t sure of the last time the Comets qualified for regionals, he was confident about his team ending whatever the length of the drought at this sectional.

“We went into this as the No. 2 scoring team according the Quik Stats, so I’m not surprised of us getting down,” Williams said. “We started out a little slow today but we finished strong.”

Today, the Comets are playing the Northeast Iowa Conference Tournament at New Hampton.

“I think we have a good chance of doing well there,” Mitchell said. “As for regionals … we’ll have to see. Maybe we can down there early for a practice round.”

West Delaware, who will host the regional at Manchester, won the sectional with a team score of 329, led by Gavin Soppe’s medalist score of 80.

Decorah’s Jay Fjelstul also shot an 80, but lost to Soppe in a one-hole playoff.

Class 3A Sectional

May 12

At Oneota Golf and Country Club

1. WEST DELAWARE (329)

Gavin Soppe 80, Trent Shaw 81, Derik Foster 84, Brandon Larson 84.

2. CHARLES CITY (354)

Carter Klatt 87, Jack Molstead 87, Theo Arndt 89, Nate Lasher 91, Carter Johanningmeier 94, Drew Mitchell 95.

3. CRESTWOOD (358)

Alex Kerian 85, Justin Reinking 88, Harry Kitchen 88, Isiah Passmore 97.

4. DECORAH (360)

Jay Fjelstul 80, Nic Woosley 86, Garrett Bohr 95, Jared Holthaus 99.

5. WAVERLY-SHELL ROCK (370)

Bryson Hervol 87, Austin Phyfe 93, Luke Velky 94, Dawson Bathke 96.

6. UNION (374)

Kyle Cowell 90, Treyton Slater 91, Brandon Stech 94, Caleb Reel 99.

7. INDEPENDENCE (379)

Kaden Howard 89, Sam Graeser 92, Ethan Fox 95, Peyton Nolting/Jack Rummel 103.

8. OELWEIN (412)

Richard Tournier 98, Jacob Mahloch 100, Jacob Reagan 102, Hunter Smock 112.

Individual District Qualifiers

1. Soppe (WD) 80*, 2. Fjelstul (D) 80, 3. Shaw (WD) 81, 4. Foster (WD) 84, 4. Larson (WD) 84.

*  Won playoff.