By TODD MOORE
Barton Sports Info
The 17th ranked Barton Community College men's golf team shook off first round woes in climbing into a final 5th place finish of the two-day Jayhawk Tournament No. 2 held on the south course of Wichita's Crestview Country Club.
The Cougars carded a respectable 311 in Monday's morning round but in a competitive field of eight teams, Barton found itself in 7th place. Firing back posting the second round's third lowest score of 298, the Cougars jumped into fifth where it would stand despite a final day fourth lowest card of 300.
Overall Barton finished at 57-over 909, four shots back from 4th place Hesston College and twelve strokes ahead of Kansas City Kansas.
After playing to a tie in the KJCCC's first meet of the season, top ranked Hutchinson Community College blew away the field shooting a combined 10-under par 842 to easily distance 4th ranked Dodge City Community College's 19-over 871 as 13th ranked Garden City Community College took third twenty-one strokes back at 40-over 892.
Otto Heden was in the running for a top ten finish after posting consistent 1-over par 72 rounds on Monday but slipped six spots with a final round 78 to a 13th place tie at 9-over 222.
Three of the five Cougars made final round improvements to move up the 51-man leaderboard.
Shooting an opening 78, Tom Lehmann climbed up the board to 21st overall at 13-over 226 with a pair of 74 rounds while Ethan Bonnett recovered from an 82 in carding a 77 to conclude Monday's action before firing a final round 74 moving into a tie for 28th at 20-over 233.
Tied at 37th with 29-over 242 scores were the Cougars' other competitors in taking different paths to the position. Thantup Saengvut continued his progression from an 86 to an 82 on Monday in closing with the Cougars' third 74 score on Tuesday to vault up the board while Worathan Thammachokecharoen's 79 and 74 Monday's scores were taken down the chart on a closing 88 card.
The Cougars rejoin their conference foes next Monday, April 17th, in the two-day KJCCC Championships held at Newton's Sand Creek Station Golf Course.