SYRACUSE – Consistency is important for golf teams, and Warsaw coach Ben Barkey said he’s been pleased with his team’s consistency this season. It was on display again Saturday, as the Tigers had three players shoot in the 70s, leading them to a four-man score of 315 and a third-place finish in the 16-team Wawasee Invitational at South Shore. Jonny Hollar and Michael Jensen shot 76s on the par-72 course, while Ryan Cultice carded a 79 for Warsaw. Brandon Eckert and Luke Johnson rounded out the Tigers’ lineup with an 84 and 91, respectively. “I have been really proud of our consistent scores this season,” said Barkey, whose team hosts its own invitational Tuesday at Rozella Ford, the Joe Harris Shootout. “The guys continue to work hard in practice, and that effort showed today. Jonny and Michael continue to produce scores during invitationals that finish in the top pack, and Brandon and Ryan are right there. It’s just a matter of time before they’re there as well.” Columbia City, led by 75s from Tyler Green and Spencer Klimek, won the invitational with a 310, while Homestead was three shots back in second. Plymouth (317), Chesterton (318), NorthWood (325), Culver Academy (329), Wawasee’s green team (331), Northridge (332) and Fairfield rounded out the top 10 teams. Manchester, led by Noah Cain’s 83, finished 11th at 366. Wawasee’s gold team, paced by Kaleb Perry’s 86, with a 371. Whitko, led by an 88 from Will Peters, shot 383 and finished 15th. Jeffrey Moore led Wawasee’s eighth-place green team with a 77, while Jeffrey Moore carded and 82, Cal Heinisch shot 84 and Maclain Herr and Mason Germanprez finished with 88s. Alec Dutkowski of NorthWood was the individual medalist with a 1-over 73, followed by Green and Klimek and Plymouth’s Ben Schenk with 75s. Columbia City won the team sectional championship at Rozella Ford last year, something it hadn’t done since 1985. Saturday’s 18-hole invitational was a measuring stick of sorts for the Tigers, though Barkey said he’s more focused on his team than the competition. “Golf is a unique sport where you play the course,” said Barkey. “I love our matchups with the upcoming courses that we play the rest of the season. We are very confident with the courses we play and feel we matchup well with them. “I love where our mindset is right now,” continued Barkey. “Each guy is holding themselves accountable for improvement and we are seeing the results with consistent scores. They come to practice each day ready to compete and get better, and they work hard.” Tuesday’s Joe Harris Shootout is slated to tee off at 4 p.m. Among the teams scheduled to play against Warsaw are Triton and Wawasee.
WAWASEE INVITATIONAL Team Standings – 1. Columbia City 310, 2. Homestead 312, 3. Warsaw 315, 4. Plymouth 317, 5. Chesterton 318, 6. NorthWood 325, 7. Culver Academy 329, 8. Wawasee Green 331, 9. Northridge 332, 10. Fairfield 354, 11. Manchester 366, 12. Lakeland 367, 13. Wawasee Gold 371, 14. Goshen 380, 15. Whitko 383, 16. Elkhart Central 408 Top Individuals – Alec Dutkowski (NW) 73, Tyler Green (CC) 75, Spencer Klimek (CC) 75, Ben Schenk (P) 75, Jonny Hollar (War) 76, Mitch Davis (Che) 76, Michael Jensen (War) 76, Reis Yoder (P) 76, Kirby Hart (CA) 76, Liam Diebel (CA) 77 Warsaw – Jonny Hollar 76, Michael Jensen 76, Ryan Cultice 79, Brandon Eckert 84, Luke Johnson 91 Wawasee Green – Tristen Atwood 77, Jeffrey Moore 82, Cal Heinisch 84, McClain Herr 88, Mason Germonprez 88 Manchester – Noah Cain 83, Connor Eichenauer 91, Parker Wagoner 95, Nathan Self 97, Rainer Bergmann 104 Wawasee Gold – Kaleb Perry 86, Cameron Adams 87, Kyle Weldeman 91, Josh Hicks 107, Al Galloway 137 Whitko – Will Peters 88, Cole Bechtold 94, Grady Clingerman 98, Tim Gensch 103, Matt Hathaway 103
