The Emporia High boys golf team made it two-for-two this week, as the Spartans came away with the Centennial League golf title Tuesday at the Shawnee Country Club in Topeka one day after claiming the Class 5A Regional title.
The Spartans carded a team score of 312 to pull off a somewhat-surprising victory over league-power and defending champion Manhattan by three strokes. Earlier in the year at the Emporia High Invitational, Manhattan beat EHS by 15 strokes. EHS finished fifth at the league meet last year.
Much like Monday’s Regional where EHS took the team title and an EHS golfer — Bren Fisher — took the top individual spot, Emporia did the same on Tuesday, as this time it was Fletcher Harder who carded the low score of the day individually. Harder shot a 1-over 72 to finish two strokes ahead of Manhattan’s Clarke Fry (74) to win the Centennial League individual title.
Fisher finished with a 6-over 77 to place fifth and Eric Reimer shot a 9-over 80 to place seventh to round out the Spartans who finished in the top 10, while Jared Johnson (83) placed 19th, Matt McAnarney (85) finished 22nd and Zach Young (92) came in 37th.
With the top 4 finishers counted in the team scores, Emporia’s quartet of Harder, Fisher, Reimer and Johnson was enough to defeat Manhattan’s top-4 finishers — Fry, Ben Lowman (80), Gordy Chang (80) and Jim Daniels (83).
Washburn Rural placed third, Hayden was fourth and Shawnee Heights was fifth. Topeka West finished sixth, Seaman was eighth, Topeka High placed ninth and Highland Park finished 10th.
The next action for the EHS golfers will be the State tournament next Monday at Auburn Hills Golf Course in Wichita. The Spartans qualified as a team after taking Monday’s Regional title and will try to improve upon last year’s sixth-place finish.
Centennial League Championships
Tuesday at Topeka
Shawnee Country Club
Team Score
Emporia 312, Manhattan 315, Washburn Rural 322, Hayden 322, Shawnee Heights 331, Topeka West 346, Seaman 365, Topeka High 384, Highland Park 494.
Individuals
1. Fletcher Harder, Emp, 72; 2. Clarke Fry, Man, 74; 3. Riley Piles, Hay, 76; 4. Bren Fisher, Emp, 77; 5. Ben Moser, WR, 78; 6. Brian Walker, Hay, 79; 7. Eric Reimer, Emp, 80; 8. Tyler Harper, SH, 80; 9. Ben Lowman, Man, 80; 10. Gordy Chang, Man, 80. Other Emporia finishers — 19. Jared Johnson, 83; 22. Matt McAnarney, 85; 37. Zach Young, 92.