ARCHBOLD WEATHER

Streaks Make History

AHS Golf Team Advances To State



The Archbold High School golf team made history, Thursday, Oct. 2, advancing to the state tournament for the first time ever.

The Streaks finished third at the Division III district meet in Bowling Green. Lima Central Catholic won the district championship with a team score of 314. Minster finished second with a 324. Archbold was six strokes back with a 330.

Ottawa Hills was fourth with a 339.

The top four teams and top four individuals not on teams won the right to advance to the state tourney.

Steven Kinsman led AHS with an 18-hole score of 80. Jacob Nafziger and Tyson Bostelman each had scores of 83; Tyler Bernath shot an 84; and Jarrett Yoder had a 94.

“I’m ecstatic. The guys are ecstatic,” said Kevin Miller, AHS golf coach.

“We knew we were in decent shape after the second wave of teams started to come in, but there were about four or five teams within five or six strokes of us after the first nine holes. We knew they could play well enough to catch us and go by us.

“It was just so cold and windy, and pin placement was tough. It was brutal out there.”

Scores were higher than normal, and Miller felt the weather conditions “definitely played a part in the outcome.”

Of the 18 teams, 12 ended with team scores of 350 or higher. Two of the other six were at 347 and 348. Those teams normally scored around 312, 315, and 318.

The weather “obviously was an advantage to us because we sustained it a little bit better,” said Miller. “Other teams didn’t, and their scores were a lot higher than they normally would be.

“It even affected Lima Central Catholic. They were in the mid teens, and normally they’re either below or just above 300.

“The kids knew what they had to shoot to get out in normal conditions, and 315 is what we thought we had to be at; definitely under 320. So we were in the ballpark with what we’d done all year.

“I’m very pleased. The guys did what they needed to do. We got out.”

Archbold was in the first group of teams, and had to wait for two more waves of teams- about three hours- to finish before knowing its fate.

“We knew we were in third place after the turn. We knew the scores were kind of high compared to what they normally are, and we knew we were in it,” said Miller.

“My guys weren’t pleased with their scores at the turn but I told them nobody’s scoring well, so just keep your head up and keep going.

“I kept thinking after the turn it’d be awesome to get out as a team, and it worked out.”

Kinsman and Bernath will be four-year lettermen, and have been with Miller since he became the golf coach four years ago.

“They’ve been with me the whole way, so this is kind of special; this is kind of cool.”

State

“I’m sure we’re not favored. We’re just going to do the best we can and see what happens,” said Miller.

The Div. III state tournament is Friday, Oct. 10 and Saturday, Oct. 11 at Foxfire Golf Club, Lockbourne, which is on the south side of Columbus.

Participants play 18 holes of golf both days.

“We’re excited. It still hasn’t totally sunk in,” said Miller.

AHS has had two individuals advance to state before: Dave Plassman in 1981, and Mark Stevens in 1986.

Classic By The Bay

The Streaks also participated in the Genoa “Classic By The Bay,” Saturday, Oct. 4. The event had been postponed from Sept. 13.

AHS finished fifth with a team score of 337. The host Comets won with a 317. Amherst Steele was second with 320, followed by Wauseon, 325; Elyria, 336; and the Streaks.

Nafziger shot a 79 and was named to the All-Tournament Team. Kinsman also shot a 79, followed by Bostelman, 88; Bernath, 91; and Yoder, 95.


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