State golf: Grundy Center boys 3 strokes back after Day 1 (PHOTOS)

NEWTON – The Grundy Center boys are right in the thick of the title hunt after the first day of the Class 1A boys golf state tournament at Westwood Golf Course in Newton.
 
The Spartans are currently in second place with a 325, three strokes behind leader Harris-Lake Park. Bishop Garrigan is in third with a 344.
 
Ashton Martens, a Grundy Center freshman, shot a 79 and is currently tied for eighth place individually. Fellow first-year Spartan Dexter Whitehill carded an 80, followed by seniors Andy Cox and Matthew Sternhagen turning in an 82 and 84, respectively. Tanner Appel contributed a 90 and Travis Kuester shot 95.
 
Harris-Lake Park also led after the first day last season, though it was with a 345, a score that would today be good enough for fourth place.
 
The competition should be at its peak tomorrow, and Grundy Center coach Dennis Dirks figures that's the way his group likes it.
 
"That's the thing with the team I have down here, they're extremely competitive," Dirks said. "We had guys out there have some tough holes but they always kept reminding me that they weren't going to quit, that they'd keep playing all 18 holes. There are four seniors out there that know what it takes and two freshmen that are playing really well right now."
 
Dirks added that the Spartans have come a long way since a practice round at Westwood 50 days ago. That group shot 357 in that practice round, one stroke worse than their first-day total last year.
 
"We talked about goals coming in here today and they hoped to post four scores under 85. We reached that goal," Dirks said, "H-LP's got a nice team. I like our chances tomorrow, anything's possible. Maybe we'll walk away with some nice hardware again this year."
 
Class 1A State Golf 2019
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Class 1A State Golf Tournament
At Westwood Golf Course, Newton
(Par 71)
 
Team scores: 1. Harris-Lake Park 322; 2. Grundy Center 325; 3. Bishop Garrigan 344; 4. Westwood 351; 5. Newell-Fonda 356; 6. Sigourney 357; 7. Iowa Valley 359; 8. Exira/EH-K 364.
 
H-LP (322) – Lucas Gunderson 74, Isaac Ihnen 79, Adrian Martin 82, Jaxson Heikens 87.
 
GC (325) – Ashton Martens 79, Dexter Whitehill 80, Andy Cox 82, Matthew Sternhagen 84, Tanner Appel 90, Travis Kuester 95.