Month: May 2016

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Dalton Ayres chose Kansas City Kansas Community College to assure four years of college golf and the planned couldn’t have worked better.

A sophomore from Newton, Ayres will finish his final two years of collegiate golf at Fort Hays State University, a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Ayres spent his first two years of high school at Wichita Northwest, then finished his last two years at Newton where he was a two-time state qualifier.

“I had offers from Avila and Ottawa but my dad (David Ayres) and I felt it would be better to go to a community college and then go to a university and it worked out well,” said Ayres, who took a redshirt season between his freshman and sophomore years. A May graduate with an AA degree in business, Ayres will continue in some area of business at Fort Hays.

Ayres said a former KCKCC player, Seve Sites, recommended him to Fort Hays.

“He thought I’d be a good fit for next season’s team,” said Ayres, who also drew interest from Missouri Southern.

KCKCC coach Gary Shrader said Fort Hays is getting more than just a good golfers in Ayres.

“He’s been my assistant for lack of an assistant coach,” Shrader said. “He’s the guy I go to help organize practice when I’m not there to start it and the one who communicates with everyone, what shirt will be worn, what time is breakfast, when to be at the van. Mature with a lot of initiative, he’ll take advantage of being on the team and getting an education.”

Ayres was second team All-City as a sophomore at Wichita Northwest, then finished fifth in the regionals and 11th in the state tournament as a junior at Newton. He also qualified for state as a senior and was named to the second All-AVCTL team.

At KCKCC, Ayres played in the Jayhawk Conference, arguably the most competitive community college conference in the nation.

“Definitely,” said Ayres, noting that Dodge City’s roster is loaded with five international players while Hutchinson and Barton County have three each – a far cry from a KCKCC roster made up entirely of Kansas players.

Ayres’ best performance came in the 22-team Bethel Invitational when he finished in the Top Five with rounds of 71 at Hesston and 76 at Sand Creek Station. Usually long and straight off the tee, “285 yards if I hit it good,” he said.

“I learned a lot, especially to have a better attitude and to ‘let it go,’ not to let one bad hole lead to another. I’m not there yet but I’m working on it,” he said.