The Kingsley-Pierson/River Valley golf teams played in Western Valley Conference meets on Monday.
Boys win WVC home meet
KINGSLEY — Cole Beeson continued his strong play as of late, spurring KP-RV’s boys golf team to their first Western Valley Conference tournament win of the season.
Beeson’s season-best 42 was among the highlights on Monday, April 22 as Coach Tim Dirksen’s Panthers edged OABCIG 167-171 to win the title at Brookside Golf Course. Axton Miller of OABCIG won medalist honors with a 35 while KP-RV’s Vince Koelling (38) was the runner-up medalist.
“We hosted a meet last Thursday and Cole shot a 43 there,” said Dirksen. “He was actually the runner-up medalist. That 42 really pulled it in for us. We were right on the edge with OABCIG.
“Cole has been driving the ball and striking the ball really well. He still has the freshman mentality where sometimes, he gets a little squirrely. He’ll hit a bad shot and then he’ll come back and fix what he did wrong. He’s fun to watch.”
Koelling, who was the runner-up medalist for the second time this season, tied a season-best with his 38, marking the fifth time during his senior year in which he has been under 40. Tyler Koch shot a 43 while Easton Nissen’s 44 completed the scoring.
“We’re going to need that (balance) moving forward,” said Dirksen. “They’re clicking at the right time. I’ve been waiting for it. I knew they were a lot better than what they have been playing. Tonight, they just put it together.”
Non-counting rounds for the Panthers came from Kieryn Schmid (49) and Jackson Nissen (58).
Ridge View was third at the tournament with a 177. Fourth-place Westwood (178) was followed by Lawton-Bronson (183), Woodbury Central (183), West Monona (197), Siouxland Christian (210) and MVAOCOU (221).
Girls place fifth at WVC meet
HOLSTEIN — Jordyn Sitzmann shot a season-best 44, but it wasn’t enough as KP-RV’s girls golf team finished fifth at Monday’s Western Valley Conference Tournament at the Holstein Country Club.
MVAOCOU, which outscored Ridge View 189-199 for the title, took over first place in the current conference standings following the fourth of five 9-hole tournaments. KP-RV, which won the first two tournaments, slipped to second place, followed by Westwood, West Monona, Ridge View, Woodbury Central, OABCIG, Siouxland Christian and Lawton-Bronson.
The top five teams will compete in the WVC Tournament on May 6 at Willow Creek Course in Le Mars.
Third-place West Monona (204) was followed on Monday by Westwood (206), KP-RV (213), Woodbury Central (218), OABCIG (222) and Lawton-Bronson (244).
Sitzmann was the runner-up medalist for the second consecutive meet. She has strung together a 44.6 nine-hole average in her last three meets.
Sitzmann started off with six straight bogeys. She parred the No. 8 hole before finishing her solid round with a bogey.
“I feel if she would have a birdie on one of her early holes, I think she would have the confidence,” said KP-RV coach Val Sitzmann. “She is a very careful golfer and she doesn’t get into trouble. If she could get one of those birdies early on, that would be the boost and would get her to really break out. Her game would just boom.”
KP-RV was without the services of its usual No. 2 golfer Emma Sitzmann, who missed because of illness. Sydney Doeschot shot a 51 while Aida Pratt (56) and Myah Dausel (62) completed the scoring.
“If Sydney could take away that hole No. 1 or play it again, she would have been in the 40s last night,” said Coach Sitzmann. “Aida had two holes that gave her trouble, but the rest of them, she was just solid. In golf, it’s all about pulling it all together and getting that good, full round.”
Emma Dye (63) and Evyn Wilson (64) also competed for the Panthers.
Panthers win meets Tuesday
Girls and boys golf teams from KP-RV were each winners on Tuesday. Coach Val Sitzmann’s Panthers won the triangular they hosted at Brookside Golf Course while Coach Tim Dirksen’s boys were winners in the quadrangular they hosted at Correctionville Golf Course.
Doeschot ties for medalist honors
KINGSLEY — It was an amazing afternoon for several KP-RV golfers, including Sydney Doeschot.
A first-year varsity golfer, Doeschot tied with teammate Jordyn Sitzmann for medalist honors with a 44 as KP-RV outscored Ridge View 196-216 to win a triangular which also featured Westwood (219).
“She was not only under 50 for the first time, she shattered 50,” said Coach Sitzmann. “There is an athleticism about her. She is a perfectionist. If there’s a part of her game that isn’t on, she wants to work at it to make it work better. She wasn’t happy with her chipping, so before the meet, she was out there working on her chipping.”
Doeschot parred three holes, including the first, where she took an early lead when Sitzmann bogeyed. Doeschot had a 1-stroke lead after three holes, but Sitzmann parred the No. 4 hole and took a 1-stroke lead after Doeschot double-bogeyed. Doeschot rallied to tie the match with a bogey on No. 5 while Sitzmann double-bogeyed.
Doeschot and Sitzmann (2 pars) fired similar scores the final four holes. There was no playoff between the two. It was the second consecutive meet with a 44 for Sitzmann, who has had a 44.5 average the last four meets.
Aida Pratt shot a 53 for KP-RV while Emma Dye’s 55 rounded off the scoring. Evyn Wilson (61) also played.
“Emma Dye struggled a bit at Ridge View, but last night, she was focused and dialed in,” said Coach Sitzmann. “She had only one eight on her scorecard. Aida Pratt had a great round too. I hope by the end of the season, she’s going to get in the 40’s as well.”
Schmid among KP-RV’s contributors
CORRECTIONVILLE — Kieryn Schmid was among five Panthers with season-best totals as Coach Dirksen’s squad rolled to a 145-157 win over Lawton-Bronson on the flat, yet windy Correctionville course.
Schmid carded a 37 during a tournament in which MVAOCOU (194) and Woodbury Central (206) also participated. A freshman, Schmid’s previous-best round was a 44 on a windy April 15th during a Western Valley Conference tournament at Sloan.
“He’s a big hitter,” said Dirksen. “He can drive the ball a long ways. When he’s down there, he’s starting to get his short game intact. He’s going to be good. He and Cole (Beeson) are probably two of the best freshmen I’ve had come in since I’ve been doing this.”
Vincent Koelling won medalist honors for the fifth time this season, firing a one-over par round 35 for the Panthers, who won their third consecutive meet. Tyler Koch was the runner-up medalist for the first time this season, shooting a 36.
Beeson, one of KP-RV’s hottest golfers as of late, joined Schmid with a 37 to complete the scoring. Beeson has posted a 40.6 average in his last three meets.
It’s also rare when a score in the high 30’s had to be thrown out, but that’s what happened to Easton Nissen (39). Jackson Nissen (46) also competed.
“I don’t believe I’ve ever had a team score like that,” said Dirksen. “It’s a record for me. There’s no par-five on that course. Having five of six shoot in the 30’s, that’s pretty incredible. It gives you a lot of hope, come tournament time. This still tells me they’ve got it in them.”
Dirksen graduated four starters from last year’s Kingsley-Pierson team which finished third in the Class 1A state tournament. Koelling is a three-time Western Valley Conference all-conference selection.
“We lost good scorers. We have a lot of new faces, but they are really starting to dial it in. I think they’re understanding now how the meets work and how the tournaments work. They realize, ‘I need to shoot a good score if we’re going to win.’”
