Teams from Gilbert, Nevada and Nodaway Valley visited the Perry Golf and Country Club Monday for the annual Witmer-Dunphy Coed Invite, an event named for longtime Perry coaches Larry Dunphy and the late Dean Witmer.
The event is unusual as the team champion is decided by combining the scores of both the boys and girls teams from each school.
Gilbert shot a 154 in the boys meet and a 189 on the girls side to win the team title with a combined 343. Nevada had a 167-198–365 to place second, with Perry third behind a boys round of 173 and a girls total of 211 for a combined 384 strokes. Nodaway Valley had a 169 boys score but had only three girls golfers and thus could not provide an official ladies score.
Noah Wilkening’s 42 paced the Perry boys, with Dane McCarty stepping into the second spot with a 43 while Ryan Rathje and Connor Nielsen each had rounds of 44. The hosts did not count the 45 shot by Kade VanKirk or the 53 turned in by Tanner Darr.
Gilbert was dominant, producing four of the five lowest rounds of the day. Garet Jensen and Joe Gibbons both fired one-over par rounds of 37, with Tommy Doyle and Carter Johnsen each shooting 40.
Nevada used rounds of 41 from both Jake DeVries and Dylan Sporrer, with Cole Gidel (42) and Carmeron Shill (43) also scoring for the Cubs.
Nodaway Valley used cards of 40-42-43-44 provided by, in order, Jackson Lamb, Spencer Lamb, Wes Davis and Sam Marnin.
The Perry girls received a 51 from Brooke Huntington, with Alyssa Kruger shooting a 52. The team then had a choice of three rounds of 54, scoring two of the three rounds provided by Ellie Nielsen, Hannah Roberts and Skylar Cunningham. Sarah Sweet (56) was also in action for the Jayettes.
“I was pleased with Brooke’s 51,” Perry girls head coach Joel Happel said. “We did have three 54’s, and that bodes well for our depth going forward.
“Ellie had struggled for the last few meets and for the first few holes tonight, so she finished strong to get to a 54,” he added. “Hannah as well had a couple eights on holes seven and eight, she could have easily cut a few strokes of her score just on those holes. This is her second 54 in a row. I am happy to see her moving the right direction.”
Gilbert was led by Katie Jenkins, who had a 42 and Morgan Gustafson, who shot 45. Taylor Forth (51) and Lauren Burrough (51) also had their rounds counted for the Tigers as well.
Nevada used rounds of 45 from Claire Ausman and Chloe Davis and of 54 from Mekenzie Jones and Madison Abraham.
Nodaway Valley had Baylie Spear shoot a 47 and Megan Russell a 59, with Anna Funke carding a 78.
The Perry boys are off until they host Ogden May 3, while the Jayettes will play in the Woodward-Granger Invitational Thursday.
