By Chris Faulkner
Beacon Sports
Mediapolis and Danville's boys golf teams advanced to the district level of post-season play in their respective classes at sectional meets on Wednesday.
With the top three teams advancing, Mediapolis tied for second with Central Lee in a Class 2A sectional at Tipton, and Danville took third in a 1A sectional at Winfield's Twin Lakes course.
Sam Yonker of Notre Dame-West Burlington advanced to a Class 2A district by finishing as the second-best golfer at Bloomfield, among those not qualifying with their teams.
Class 2A
Mediapolis will host Monday's district meet at the Bulldogs' Heritage Golf Course.
The Bulldogs and Hawks shot 318s and finished behind sectional champion Tipton with a 305.
Max Griffin finished third on Wednesday with a 3-over-par 75. Gannon Gunn was fifth with a 77. Kohen Stotlar and Ephraim Hallgren rounded out the scoring with 83s.
William Worrall added an 84, and Brock Spears added an 86.
Younker shot a 10-over-par 80 at the Bloomfield Country Club.
The Nikes as a team came in seventh with a 364. Hudson Neally shot a 93, Kale Eggar a 95, and Ari Jannings had a 96.
Kohen Dietzenbach added a 97, and Kael Cook shot a 99.
ND-WB coach John Neil said Yonker started off well with a 38 on the front nine.
“He struggled a little more on the back,” Neil said. “After the round, I could see his emotions start to build, and I had to calm him down.” He said Yonker was concerned if he shot well enough to qualify.
“Once they called his name, we all went crazy,” Neil said. “I'm so excited for him. He has put in a ton of work this year, not only with his ball striking but the mental side of the game as well.”
Yonker said, “The course was playing really tough today with the wind and the fast greens, and I sort of limited the damage throughout the day, which was good enough for a spot in districts.”
Class 1A
Danville was just strokes behind runner-up WACO, 366-368. Host Winfield-Mount Union won with a 321.
Alex Holtkamp led Danville with an 87, Mattix Furnald shot a 93, and Graylon Walker and Connor Hulett carded 94s.
Gresham Walker added a 96, and Grant Langan shot a 112.
The Class 1A district for the Bears and Wolves is at Oskaloosa's golf course on Monday, May 18.