New Richmond golfers keep winning MBC matches

• Connor McCann

New Richmond’s Connor McCann sinks a putt as part of his round of 41 at the New Richmond Golf Club last Tuesday.

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The New Richmond boys golf team posted its fourth straight win in Middle Border Conference golf meets at Durand last Monday.

Osceola had defending state champion Charlie Danielson back in the lineup, but the Tigers were still able to score the win, edging the Chieftains by one stroke. New Richmond won with a 164, while Osceola shot a 165. Somerset was third after shooting a 171 and Durand was fourth on its home course, shooting a 176.

The Tigers won the match with excellent balance among their five varsity players. Freshman Kole Hallmark led the New Richmond, playing his best round since joining the varsity two weeks ago. He finished in second place in the match with a 39. Danielson was the medalist with a 37. Tiger coach Jim Saliny said Hallmark shows remarkable poise for a freshman.

“He’s as cool as a cucumber. It’s a good demeanor to have,” Saliny said.

Senior Kyle Montgomery continued to be one of the steadiest players in the conference, shooting a 41. Sophomores Connor McCann and Tanner Wisemiller both shot 42 and junior Ben Norman finished with a 43.

Somerset was led by senior Jake Green, who has posted the top score for the Spartans in each of the MBC matches. Green finished with a 40 at Durand. Matt Skoglund and Hunter Iverson each finished with a 43, Zach Bahr a 45 and Dante Germain a 51.

The Spartans have been vying for second place in the conference standings with Osceola. With Danielson’s return, the challenge increases for the Spartans to keep pace with the Chieftains.

This match was the start of a grueling week for area golfers. Somerset has a match every day from Monday through Saturday this week. New Richmond gets Wednesday off, but has matches the other five days.

Somerset plays in a tournament at Siren on Wednesday. The Tigers and Spartans will play in a conference match at Pheasant Hills Golf Club near Hammond on Thursday. Both teams will take part in the annual Scott Miller Invitational in Hayward this Friday and Saturday.

Next week starts with an MBC match at Ellsworth on Monday.

NRGC match

New Richmond and Somerset took the top two spots in the Middle Border Conference boys golf match played at the New Richmond Golf Club last Tuesday.

The win is the third straight for the Tigers to start the MBC season. It gave the Tigers a five-point lead in the conference standings, ahead of Osceola.

New Richmond won the meet with a 158 score at NRGC. Somerset shot a 166 to get second place, ahead of Amery’s 169 and Osceola’s 172.

Tiger sophomore Tanner Wisemiller stepped up with his best round of the season by shooting a 38, which earned him meet medalist honors. Kyle Montgomery, who ranks second in points earned in the MBC, shot a 39. Kole Hallmark finished with a 40, Connor McCann a 41 and Ben Norman a 46.

Tiger coach Jim Saliny was impressed with the consistency the team has achieved in posting four quality scores in every conference match.

“Whenever someone blows up, the other guys are pulling through,” Saliny said.

The second place finish is the best by Somerset’s golfers so far this MBC season. Jake Green continues to lead the conference in points earned. He finished with a 39 to tie for second place in the match. He leads the conference with 29 points earned. Montgomery is second with 25 points.

Matt Skoglund was second on the Spartans with a 41, followed by Zach Bahr at 42, Hunter Iverson at 44 and Dante Germain at 48.

Somerset coach Bill Powers said the Spartans performed well, despite each of them having at least one hole where they took a double bogey.

“They are getting good at keeping their poise. Hunter and Zach are big surprises this year,” Powers said.

Somerset Invitational

The Spartans hosted their annual Somerset Invitational last Wednesday and the Spartans came out on top in the 18-team field. Somerset shot a 338, finishing three strokes ahead of second place Unity. St. Croix Central ranked 17th with a 425 score.

Somerset won by being the only team to get four players to score in the 80s. Bahr showed his fondness for his home course by shooting an 81. Green finished with an 83, Iverson an 86, Skoglund an 88 and Germain a 97.

“The 338 is a great score for us,” Powers said. “We beat Unity, which is huge. They have a very good team.”

Central was led by Zach Bresina, who shot a 95. Nathan Bringgold finished with a 105, followed by Tyler Dennis at 109, Luke DeGross at 116 and Ben Phillips at 119.

Middle Border Conference golf match at Durand

Team scores: New Richmond 164, Osceola 165, Somerset 171, Durand 176, Amery 181, Baldwin-Woodville 183, Ellsworth 187, Prescott 200

New Richmond scores

Kole Hallmark 39, Kyle Montgomery 41, Connor McCann 42, Tanner Wisemiller 42, Ben Norman 43

Somerset scores

Jake Green 40, Matt Skoglund 43, Hunter Iverson 43, Zach Bahr 45, Dante Germain 51

Tags: sports, golf, tigers, spartans, prep