by Alan Hoskins
Kansas City Kansas Community College is headed for the NJCAA National Division II Golf Tournament at Goose Pond, Ala., May 19-23.
The Blue Devils gained the national tournament by totally dominating the three-team NJCAA Regional VI championship at Hillcrest Country Club Friday and Saturday.
Led by Olathe East sophomore Alex Forristal, the Blue Devils swept five of the top six individual finishes for a combined 54-hole total of 891. Allen County was a distant second at 966 with Coffeyville third at 1000.
Forristal took medalist honors with an even par 216 on rounds of 73, 71 and 72 with Marc McClain of Bonner Springs runnerup at 70-77-74-221. Piper’s Montana Fasching (75-73-80) shared third with Matt Dickey of Allen County at 228 with KCKCC’s Seve Sites of SM Northwest fifth (78-80-73-231) and Charlie Rinehart of Piper sixth (78-79-76-233).
KCKCC coach Gary Shrader was particularly pleased with the consistency of his Blue Devils.
“We didn’t have to count a score in the 80’s which was a season’s first,” Shrader said.
“Hillcrest is a very tight, long, tough golf course, very mature with tree-lined fairways and we did a good job of keeping the ball in play. Our emphasis was to play team golf and don’t go high on any hole. It’s a team that’s just got better with every tournament.”
Alan Hoskins is the sports information director for KCKCC.