by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Kansas City Kansas Community College stayed close to the leaders for 18 holes but then faded down the stretch and finished fourth in the first Jayhawk Conference Designated Tournament Monday.
Just four strokes out of second place and eight out of first after the first 18 holes, the Blue Devils dropped 12 strokes on the final round in the tourney played on the par 72, 6,287-yard Colbert Hills championship layout in Manhattan.
Dodge City, which trailed Barton County by four strokes at the turn (299-303), surged from behind to win the event with a 303-293-596 total. Hutchinson was second (304-303-607) followed by Barton County (299-309-608), KCKCC (307-319-626), Garden City (314-314-628), Allen County (339-336-675) and Coffeyville (349-337-686).
Bobby Armstrong, a sophomore from Wichita Bishop Carroll, finished in a tie for fifth to lead KCKCC. Armstrong put together rounds of 74 and 76 for a 150 total. Dodge City swept the first three individual places as Nick Kagy and Saksit Jairak shared medalist honors with 2-over par 146s with Danny Taggart third at 148.
Sophomore Micah Morris (76-81-157) tied for 23rd for KCKCC with freshman Zach Miller (76-85-161) 29th, sophomore Trevor Bauer (81-82-163) tied for 33rd and frosh Evan Wheaton (86-80-166) tied for 37th.
The Blue Devils are now idle until April 7-8 when they compete in the Bethel Invitational to be played at Hesston and Sand Creek in Newton.