The Britton-Hecla boys golf squad claimed the Eastern Coteau Conference title in the pre-region meet played at Lee Park Golf Course in Aberdeen on Monday.
The event serves as a warm-up for the Region 1B tourney set for Monday at Lee Park but is also used as the ECC tournament. The top two teams and top 40% of individuals in the boys and girls divisions will advance to the state meet at Edgebrook Golf Course in Brookings June 1-2.
Britton-Hecla also hosted the Northeast Conference Tournament on Friday and competed at the Eureka Invitational a week ago Saturday.
“We have been focusing on the process of celebrating the little victories when they arise and finding that one swing that keeps you going and wanting to come back to the golf course,” said B-H coach Ryan Nack. “Something we talked about the other day was when the not so good golf shot happens, put that club in the bag and signal that the shot happened, it’s over now, and move on. I like the progress I have seen in our entire squad this spring.”
Lofton Heer led the ECC champions with a 78, good for the second spot among ECC squads. Jace Rein was third at 82, Nate Schuller 12th with a 94, Bowen Micko 16th at 98, and Charles Schuller 18th at 98. Four players will be eligible for regional play so Micko and Charles Schuller will play off for that fourth position.
The B-H girls finished third among five ECC teams, led by Sage Ford’s 105, good for the seventh spot. Corinne Bosse was eighth at 107, Maddi Micko 11th at 119, and Chellon Pruitt 39th at 126.
Based on Monday’s scores four B-H golfers would have finished in the top 25 to advance to the state tourney. The same teams will be competing on Monday to earn those spots. In the pre-region Heer was fifth and Rein 16th for the boys, and Ford was 22nd and Bosse 24th for the girls.
The Braves won their title by a single shot with a 254, thanks in part to a two-stroke penalty invoked upon Webster Area for playing the wrong ball on the final hole. Webster Area was second at 255, followed by Great Plains Lutheran 264, Florence-Henry 293, Waubay-Summit 330, and Wilmot 354.
Webster Area claimed the girls team title with a 297 total, followed by Waverly-South Shore at 319, Britton-Hecla 331, Great Plains Lutheran 343, and Waubay-Summit 356. The top three individual scores from each squad are tallied to come up with the team score.
In the NEC tourney the boys placed third in a five-team field, while just two girls squads fielded full teams and the Lady Braves were second.
Rein led the boys, firing an 84 to place seventh. Heer shot asn 85 for 11th, Nate Schuller was 12th with an 86, Charles Schuller 16th at 90, and Bowen Micko was 21st with a 98. Ford topped the girls with a 106, placing ninth. Pruitt carded a 114 for 11th, Bosse a 118 for 12th, and Micko a 122 for 15th.
Clark-Willow Lake won the boys team title with a 227 total, followed by Webster Area at 246, Britton-Hecla 255, Hamlin 258, and Deuel 267. Clark-Willow Lake also took the girls crown with a score of 257 and Britton-Hecla carded a 338.
At Eureka the boys finished eighth in a 12-team field and the girls were ninth among nine squads.
Rein led the B-H boys with a 16th place finish in a 53-golfer field with an 85. Heer also carded an 85, good for 19th, Nate Schuller was 31st with a 94, and Micko 35th at 97. In the girls division Bosse was 28th at 116, Pruitt 31st at 122, and Micko 35th at 140.
Edmunds Central won the boys team title with a 233 total, followed by Timber Lake at 244, Eureka 248, Sully Buttes 253, Gettysburg 255, Mobridge-Pollock 257, Warner 259, Britton-Hecla 264, Miller 266, Selby Area 269, Ipswich 292, and Highmore-Harrold 312.
Selby Area was the girls champion at 274, followed by Mobridge-Pollock at 289, Warner 300, Eureka 303, Miller 307, Ipswich 311, Gettysburg 321, Leola 348, and Britton-Hecla 378.
