BCR golfers lead to team success

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While not a single golfer qualified for the state finals this season, two area teams, Hall and Princeton, advanced as teams to sectionals. There was a good reason: they had some solid individual golfers.

Here’s a look at the top swingers for the 2009 All-BCR boys’ golf team, listed alphabetically.

Ben Dagraedt, sr. (Hall): The Red Devils’ senior shot a 96 to help the Red Devils as the third and final team out of the Mendota Regional. He was second on the team at sectionals with a 18-hole season high 83 in his final high school match, which was a great score for the conditions that day, Hall coach Tom Bauer said.

“When Ben played well, we always did well in a match. He was one of those pivotal players,” Bauer said.

Daegraedt averaged 44.6 on the season as the Red Devils’ No. 2-3 man.

Garrett Fouth, sr. (St. Bede): The Bruins’ senior captain earned Tri-County All-Conference honors. He shot a 92 in the Mendota 1A regional, just missing the sectional cut by one stroke. He finished with a team-high 43.5 average, fourth best among area boys.

What spurred Fouth the most this season was his determination to regain the Bruins’ top spot he had two years ago.

“He put in a lot of time and effort over the summer,” SBA coach Rich Cummings said. “It was a real sense of pride for Garrett to be a No. 1 golfer his last year.”

Nick Rounds, sr. (Hall): A year ago, Rounds teamed up with former Red Devil Adam Doll for co-BCR Golfer of the Year honors. This year he shares those honors with Princeton’s Collin Slattery.

The Red Devils ace had other, shall we say, good rounds of golf on the area links this season. Rounds was the Red Devils’ medalist in every dual meet this season and every 18-hole tournament except one.

“His importance to our team was beyond words. He was not only our leader on the course, but off the course as well,” Hall coach Tom Bauer said.

His 39.28 average was as good as any other golfer around and more than five strokes higher than any teammate. He repeated as the Princeton Invite medalist, placed third at the Kewanee Invite and tied for third at regional.

Collin Slattery, jr. (Princeton): The PHS junior made off with the Tigers’ Most Valuable Player and produced one of the lowest 18-hole tournaments averages (77.6) that PHS’ Brian Church has had in his 15 years of coaching golf ... and he carried a 39.9 per 9 holes.

He teamed with Cole Evenson to win the Mendota Ryder Cup, finished as the NCIC Lincoln season medalist and missed out for the regional championship in a 3-man playoff.

Yet, Church believes his best golf lies ahead.

“I enjoyed observing the growth he demonstrated on and off the course this season and look forward to his senior year,” Church said. “I think when Collin finishes his high school golf career, his stats will be right there with some of the better players I have coached.”

Jordan Twidell, sr. (Bureau Valley): First-year head coach Duane Price counted on his team captain for a lot of leadership this season as the lone senior golfer for the Storm. The fact Twidell was a returning sectional qualifier didn’t hurt either.

“As the only senior on the varsity squad and a sectional qualifier last year, Jordan worked diligently to improve his game. And, while Jordan didn’t have the success he anticipated in his senior year, I believe he learned essential traits of leadership and responsibility that will benefit him the rest of his life,” Price said.

Twidell spun a 43.4 average this fall to earn TRAC-8 all-conference honors. He failed to return to sectionals, shooting a 91 at the Rockridge Regional, however.

Honorable mention

Bureau Valley — Riley DeBrock (45.7), Alex Knisely (47.2).

Hall — Dean Colmone, jr. (45.9), Cody Kirkman, sr. (45.4),

Princeton — Eric Bickett, jr. (45.4), Cody Cumpton, jr. (44.6), Cole “Slinky” Evenson, fr. (44.8), Austin Hellman, sr. (45.9), Noel Nichols, jr. (46.6).

St. Bede — Chris Fernandez, sr. (sectional qualifier, 49.0), Alex Harrison, jr. (46.4).

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