Hawks finish 8th at state meet

WATERLOO – The second day of the boys' IHSAA state golf tournament was as full of ups and downs as the Gates Park Golf Course it was played on in Waterloo Wednesday.
The Central Lee Hawks, playing in the state tournament for the first time in any of the players' careers and the 13th time for Head Coach Mike Ungerer, were tied for seventh just seven strokes out of the top 3 headed into Wednesday’s final day.
Senior Bo Herdrich led the Hawks with an 8-over 80 Wednesday. He birdied back-to-back holes at Nos. 5 and 6 but sandwiched those with double bogeys for a 3-over 39 on the front. His birdie on 5 was a holed-out chip in.
Herdrich, who shot an 87 on Tuesday said he was just happy to have made the trip.
 “It's exciting now and it's just a time to be happy,” he said. “It doesn't really matter how you golf because you're up here. But I had a decent round (Tuesday) I mean I played within myself. I lost a few strokes here and there, but we'll get ‘em back tomorrow.”
He did get seven of those strokes back, but said the Hawks probably used up all their luck last week in sectionals. The Hawks advanced to state after winning a three-way tiebreaker at districts.
Ungerer said he’s sure some of the boys will be disappointed, but at this point in the season, it's mostly the mental game.
“For the most part, I thought they handled it there. I'm sure they all have some swings they'd like to have back,” he said. “There’s some of them that are probably going to be a little disappointed in how they finished, but yeah, it's a good learning experience and most of them are coming back except for Bo.”
The Hawks got sixth in the first round of sectionals last year and didn’t make it out of the first round.

“This year we got through to the second round and then made it to state, so it was a big jump.
They’re all improving, of course, but I think a lot of this now is the mental part of it. It’s a building process.”
Mylan Lowenberg had the best individual performance over both days with dual 81s. Lowenberg started Tuesday with a bogey 5 on the first hole, but then just missed holing out for an eagle on hole No. 2, buckling his knees a bit as he watched the ball tick the stick and stop about four feet behind. He made the putt for a birdie and played even golf through five holes. He bogeyed No. 6 and No. 7 and then doubled on the par-3 No. 8. He shook off the 5 over 41 and started the back nine with back-to-back birdies and then went bogey, double, double, bogey on the next four before getting a birdie on 16 and parring the rest of the way out for a back nine 40.
Caleb Larson shot a nice 3-over 39 on the front nine Tuesday with three bogeys and a birdie on 7. A triple bogey 8 on a the par 5 15th hole ruined a nice first day, leaving him with a 7-over 79. He had four doubles and one birdie on day 2 for an 85 to give him a 184 for the two-day event.
Larson said getting the first shot on Tuesday off the teebox out of the way was stressful.
“That first shot was extremely nervy. Obviously, you got all the people watching, you’re the last group off, so it's pretty intimidating. But I hit a good one, so it ended up being alright. Once you get that out, you just let out a sigh of relief. My goal was to have two under 80 rounds, so I'm still on track for that,” he said Tuesday.
“I was only three over and I made a triple on a par 5. The club slipped in my hand at the top and I tossed one out into the creek and had to take a drop. And then I got sloppy and missed a 3-footer for a double. I missed a lot of short putts so, I left a lot out there.”
Carter Jones tied Herdrich with 167s. Jones, just a sophomore, shot an 81 on Tuesday with just one double bogey, but suffered his second and third double bogeys on the back nine Wednesday to go with five other bogeys for an 86.
Two other sophomores, Carson Morrison and Kaden Swan, rounded out the Hawk contingency. Morrison shot a 91-83, 174 and Swan shot an 84-92, 176.