ELKHART – Doing so with a different individual winner, the same ol’ boys golf team won Saturday’s Northern Lakes Conference Championships at Bent Oak. Led by Tim Ahlersmeyer’s medalist round of 1-over par 73, the Warsaw Tigers shot a four-man score of 304 and won the eight-team match for the fourth consecutive year. NorthWood was a distant second at 323, followed by Concord (326), Elkhart Memorial (326), Northridge (327), Goshen (337), Plymouth (342) and Wawasee (343). “Winning the golf conference, in my opinion, is harder than winning the sectional,” Warsaw coach Ben Barkey said in a phone conversation, as he was in Texas fulfilling work requirements. “Our program has been fortunate to have very outstanding players that have the passion for winning championships.” Ahlersmeyer was the third different Warsaw player this season to win an 18-hole tournament, joining Tyler Ostrom and Jon Schram. Ostrom, the defending state champion, finished second Saturday with a 74, while Schram carded a 76. Brothers Jonny Hollar and Bennett Hollar rounded out the Tigers’ lineup with an 81 and 82, respectively. “Because we have four guys with so much experience in tournament play, it gives us a competitive edge,” said Barkey. “I was also excited that Tim Ahlersmeyer won his first high school invitational. That gives us three players on our team that have won a tournament.” In Barkey’s 10 years as head coach, Warsaw has won the NLC Championships six times. Saturday’s victory tied a school record for Warsaw, as the Tigers joined the 1988 team by winning five consecutive 18-hole tournaments. The Tigers can break the record tonight when they host the Bob Turner Classic at Tippecanoe Lake Country Club. With Barkey out of state for work, assistant coach Tad Nieter, a member of the Tigers’ 2005 state champinship team, handled the coaching duties at Bent Oak. “Tad Nieter is the best assistant coach in the state,” said Barkey. “He’s been there and seen and done it all, played on a state championship team.” Ahlersmeyer, Ostrom, Schram and Bennett Hollar were named All-Northern Lakes Conference, while Jonny Hollar received honorable mention honors. This marks the second consecutive season the Tigers have claimed four of the eight possible All-Conference spots, with the fifth player being named honorable mention. Derek Zurcher led Wawasee with an 84, while Tristen Atwood shot 85, Dylan Cousins carded an 86, Luke Jackson shot 88 and Maclain Herr finished with an 89. Zurcher was named to the honorable mention All-Conference list.
Team scores – Warsaw 304, NorthWood 323, Elkhart Memorial 326, Concord 326, Northridge 327, Goshen 337, Plymouth 342, Wawasee 343 Warsaw – Tyler Ostrom 74, Jon Schram 76, Tim Ahlersmeyer 73, Bennett Hollar 82, Jonny Hollar 81 NorthWood – Payton Grubbs 78, Dylan Gessinger 77, Logan Kauffman 83, Ryan Thompson 86, Brayden Glaser 85 Memorial – Noah Strati 82, Drew Stutz 85, Frank Iavagnillo 79, Nick Foy 85, Braden Sherwood 80 Concord – Alex Happer 78, Ryan Bontrager 86, Tim Johnson 79, A.J. Sandlin 83, Peyton Kime 86 Northridge – Logan McBride 81, Rhett Holloway 79, Will Erekson 84, Tom Morrison 83, Andrew Edlund 91 Goshen – Austin Shaffer 77, Alex Hartsough 89, Paul Johnson 90, Kenneth Shields 83, Joel Moyer 88 Plymouth – Nate Kolter 76, John Ruff 85, Ben Schenk 87, Zach Craft 96, Kurt Corsbie 94 Wawasee – Derek Zurcher 84, Maclain Herr 89, Dylan Cousins 86, Tristen Atwood 85, Luke Jackson 88 All-NLC – Tim Ahlersmeyer (War), Tyler Ostrom (War), Jon Schram (War), Nate Kolter (Ply), Austin Shaffer (Gos), Dylan Gessinger (NW), Payton Grubbs (NW), Bennett Hollar (War) Honorable mention – Alex Happer (Con), Jonny Hollar (War), Logan McBride (NR), Derek Zurcher (Wawa) Coach of the Year – Brad Duerksen (NW)
