Spartan boys, AGWSR's Hames to 1A state golf

NASHUA – The Grundy Center boys golf team won a Class 1A district meet in Nashua on Friday afternoon to return to the state tournament later this week.
 
The Spartans shot 324 as a team, 17 strokes clear of runner up Bishop Garrigan of Algona, led by individual runner-up Jake Bangasser's 75. Grundy Center will be making its ninth appearance at the state meet in the last 10 seasons.
 
Joining Grundy Center at this week's state tournament in Newton is AGWSR junior Alex Hames, advancing as one of two individuals from non-qualifying teams with a 79. Meet medalist Austin Eckenrod of Mason City Newman was the other individual state qualifier after shooting a 72. This will be Hames' second state appearance–his first came as a freshman on AGWSR's state-qualifying team in 2016.
 
The Spartans added top-ten individual finishes from Matthew Sternhagen shooting an 80 for sixth place and Andy Cox placing eighth with an 81. Nolan Freeman rounded out Grundy Center's scoring with an 88 and Travis Kuester and Tanner Appel contributed a 90 and 95, respectively.
 
With five golfers back on the course from the Spartans' fourth-place finish at state last season–Kuester will be the only first-timer on the course in Newton–Spartans head coach Dennis Dirks said the Grundy Center boys were on a mission to return to the state tournament.
 
Dirks noted the Spartans also approached postseason play with a focused mindset: "There are no guarantees or second chances when it comes to post-season play, only weekly challenges where, if you perform well enough, can turn into another new opportunity."