Larry Dunphy and the late Dean Witmer were passionate about golf, and the longtime Perry coaches were honored some years ago with having a coed invite named in their honor.
The Witmer-Dunphy is unusual in that the winning trophy goes not to the lowest scoring boys or girls team, but rather to the school whose combined coed score is lowest.
This year the honor belonged to Gilbert, who recorded a 163 boys and 175 girls score for an overall total of 338. Perry was second with a boys 181 and girls 204 for a 385, with West Central Valley shooting a boys 207 and girls 262 for a 469. Nodaway Valley had a girls score of 270, but had only two boys in action and were thus unable to generate an official boys tally.
Bluejay senior Noah Wilkening continued his hot play of late with a one-over par 37 to lead the hosts. Wilkening had double bogeys on the second and seventh holes, but nearly erased both with birdies on the first, third and ninth holes.
Dane McCarty fired a 47, Connor Nielsen a 48 and Tanner Duffy a 49 for Perry. Rounds of 49 from Gabe Ridnour and of 50 from Luke Rathje were not used toward the team total.
Carter Johnsen’s 39 led Gilbert and was the runner-up medalist behind Wilkening. Joe Gibbons and Brandon Crow had rounds of 41 apiece, with Tommy Doyle adding a 42 for the Tigers.
Logan Pruitt (49), Knick Badker (49), Garret Caltrider (50) and Alex Homgan (59) scored for WCV, with Spencer Lamb (51) and Connor Blazek (83) making the circuit for Nodaway Valley.
Brooke Huntington and Skylar Cunningham each had cards of 49 for the Jayettes, with Alyssa Kruger shooting a 52 and Sarah Sweet a 54. Madyson Hill’s 60 was not used for the team score.
Gilbert’s Britta Snyder overcame bogeys on holes one, four and nine with birdies on the third and seventh holes to earn girls medalist honors with a one-over par 36 (girls par is 35).
Katie Jenkins of Gilbert was the runner-up medalist with a 42, with Regan Sentken’s 46 and Lauren Burrough’s 51 also scoring for the Tigers.
Scoring for the WCV girls were Jaycee Wathne (59), Beth Smith (64), Darby Davis (64) and Megan Fairchild (75).
Nodaway Valley used rounds from Megan Russell (57), Julia Eshelman (65), Jodi Baudle (71) and McKynna Newbury (77) to generate their total.
The Perry girls will play in the 18-hole Woodward-Granger Invitational Thursday before visiting North Polk Monday for a round at the Tournament Club of Iowa. The Perry boys are now off until a visit to Ogden May 2.
