by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Weather continued to wreak havoc with Kansas City Kansas Community College’s No. 9 ranked golf team this spring.
Snow canceled the second round of the Ottawa Spring Invitational with the Blue Devils just a stroke out of first place and rain and cold forced KCKCC to withdraw from Saturday’s Graceland Invitational after taking the lead in Friday’s opening round.
“We played well but it was cold and rained all day Friday and with us scheduled to play a practice round Sunday and 36 holes Monday in the Jayhawk Conference opener at Colbert Hills in Manhattan, it just made good sense to withdraw, come home, dry out and get ready for the conference,” KCKCC coach Gary Shrader said.
Rain forced a delay in the start of the final round Saturday in the Graceland Invitational at Mozingo Lakes in Maryville, Mo.
“For teams from Iowa that drove four or five hours, they wanted to get in some rounds but with the conference Sunday and Monday, we didn’t need more rounds in such inclement weather,” Shrader said.
With an 8-over par 296, the Blue Devils held a three-shot lead over Mount Mercy at the halfway mark of the 11-team tournament made up of KCKCC and 10 four-year colleges. Culver-Stockton was third at 299 followed by Graceland, 309; Lindenwood, 311; Simpson, 313; Iowa Lakes, 318; Waldorf, 328; Graceland B, 350; and Central Missouri, 355.
Bonner Springs sophomore Marc McClain led the Blue Devils with an even par 72 that tied him fourth in medalist standings with Micah Morris of Coyle, Okla., a stroke back in sixth at 73. Sophomore Jeremy Dunham of Derby was tied for 10th at 75 with freshman Nick Wagner of Wichita Maize South tied for 16th at 76.
In addition, sophomore Matt Thayne of Hesston tied for 34th with an 81 while sophomore Evan Shartzer of Blue Valley North and freshman Bobby Armstrong of Bishop Carroll were another stroke back at 82 in a tie for 36th.
The Blue Devils trailed Bethany College by just one stroke 310-311 in the Ottawa Spring Invitational at Eagle Bend March 13. Ottawa was third at 316 in the nine-team tournament when snow forced cancellation of the second round.
Dunham led well-balanced KCKCC scoring with a 76 followed by Armstrong with a 77, Wagner and Morris, both 78; and Shartzer, 81.