Glynn Carries Waconia to Section 2AAA Title

By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
 
 
  JORDAN, Minn. – For the majority of the weather-shorted 2018 high school golf season, the general consensus was that the eventual Class AAA state team champion would come from Section 2AAA, with Minnetonka (2017 runners-up to Wayzata), Chaska and Waconia all ranked inside the top-five by the Minnesota Golf Association when the season officially began in late April.
 
With an early win at the Bunker Hills Invite, the Skippers quickly took over the top spot in boys golf before finishing second to Chaska at the biggest test early in the season, The Preview High School Championship at Edinburgh USA a week later. A win at the Champions Cup at Windsong Farm and Minnetonka was firmly in control of Class AAA.
 
But Chaska came surging back with wins at both the Lakeville North and the Lakeville South Invitationals in early May before knocking off Minnetonka at the Nelson Invite, earning four big victories in a span of 10 days to replace the Skippers as the No. 1 team in high school golf.  
 
Putting together a pair of wins at the East Ridge Invite at StoneRidge Golf Club and the White Bear Lake Invite at Dellwood Country Club, Minnetonka once again took over the top seed entering the final stages of the 2018 season.
 
All the while the boys from Waconia waited in the balance, playing its best golf when it mattered most by posting a team score of 588 Monday at Ridges at Sand Creek to win the Section 2AAA Championship, five shots better than Minnetonka and eight shots clear of Chaska to advance to the state tournament June 12-13 at Bunker Hills.
 
“It’s been a battle—we’ve met [Minnetonka and Chaska] many times and we’ve been a couple strokes back every time,” Waconia head coach Don Skerik said following his team’s state tournament berth Monday. “I knew we were playing well at the right time and that’s what it came down to.”
 
Although Waconia has four state titles in five appearances, whispers amongst the Wildcat faithful Monday claimed the last state tournament bid came nearly 40 years ago.
 
“I don’t think we’ve been to the state tournament since the late ‘70s. For us, we’re kind of the small fish in the big class, so this is a big deal for us. Today I told them to stay loose, have fun and enjoy the moment—very simple. I don’t have any seniors so I said we should be relaxed with no pressure.”
 
The Wildcats moved into the top-5 following a fourth-place finish behind Chaska, Minnetonka and St. Thomas Academy at The Preview High School Championship in late April and second-place finish at the Bunker Hills Invite, losing to Minnetonka by two shots the following week.
 
Entering the Section 6AAA Championship ranked No. 3 thanks to a third-place finish at the Nelson invite at Ridges at Sand Creek, Waconia fired a team score of 291 to take a one-shot lead over Minnetonka, and a three-stroke lead over Chaska to the final round Monday.
 
“We started out a little shaky today, but they played well that second nine,” Skerik said. “The wind picked up and we were having a little trouble, but they settled down and stuck to their games and didn’t give up,” Skerik said. “Some of them were 6-over after four or five holes and all of the sudden they were 6-over at the end of the round. They played well and put a finish on it—I’m proud of them.”
 
Once again junior captain Connor Glynn carried the Wildcats during the section championship, posting an even par round of 72 to help Waconia take the early lead after the first round Wednesday.
 
With his team clinging to a four-shot lead through nine holes Monday, Glynn carded three birdies against a bogey on his opening nine and duplicated the score on his inward nine to shoot 68, earning medalist honors at 144, while guiding Waconia to a five-stroke victory.
 
“I got off to a good start—I was 3-under through seven holes and then made a bogey, but bounced back with a few more birdies. It was good to get under par and stay there for the nerves coming down the stretch,” Glynn said Monday.
 
“We’ve been playing well all year and have had three good scores and then one in the high 70’s or low 80’s that has hurt us a little bit, but for sections we had four good scores and that was the deciding factor.”
  
Thanks to most of the long holes playing downwind Monday, Glynn was able to take advantage of the five par-5’s at Ridges by carding birdies at four of them, while adding a birdie at the par-4 fourth and another at the par-4 12^th.
 
After rolling in his birdie putt at the par-5 16^th, Glynn finished the championship with a pair of pars on the final two holes to earn a one stroke victory over Chanhassen’s Ben Hicks, who finished at 3-under par 141.
 
“Our coach said the team that is the loosest and out there having the most fun is the team that’s going to come away and win and I think that’s what we did,” Glynn said. “When I saw our guys out there they all had a smile on their face, so that was a big help.”
 
The stage is set at the Class AAA tournament with five teams claiming berths during section play Monday. St. Thomas Academy finished on top of Section 3AAA at Bunker Hills Monday, with a 40-stroke victory over Rosemount High School by shooting a team score of 588—the same score as Waconia.
 
Looking ahead to the challenge next week at the Class AAA tournament Skerik said, “St. Thomas is very tough and they beat us by a couple early on, but hopefully we’ll be in the hunt. I know we can play well at [Class AAA site Bunker Hills], and we were 2-under and I think the boys are comfortable there.”
 
Northfield (1AAA), Stillwater (4AAA), Maple Grove (5AAA), Edina (6AAA), Elk River (7AAA) and Alexandria (8AAA) round out the field when the 2018 MSHSL Boys’ State Tournament begins Tuesday at Bunker Hills.
 
 
 
2018 MSHSL BOYS SECTION 2AAA GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
RIDGES AT SAND CREEK
JORDAN, MINN.
6,553 YARDS, PAR 72
 
 
FINAL TEAM RESULTS
1. Waconia, 291-297—588  
2. Minnetonka, 292-301—593
3. Chaska, 294-302—596  
4. Eden Prairie, 305-315—620  
 
 
FINAL INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1. Connor Glynn, Waconia, 72-68—140
2. Ben Hicks, Chanhassen, 72-69—141**
3. Gunnar Broin, Minnetonka, 69-74—143**
4. Davis Johnson, Chaska, 70-75—145**
5. John Fischer, Waconia, 73-74—147
T6. Carson Haley, Mankato East, 73-75—148**
T6. Walker Reyes, Mankato East, 75-73—148**
T8. Jack Johnson, Chaska, 75-74—149
T8. Lincoln Johnson, Chaska, 75-74—149
10. Henry Geiger, New Prague, 73-77—150
T10. Jacob Pedersen, Minnetonka, 74-76—150
12. Joe Adams, Waconia, 71-80—151
 
T22. Gus Leivermann, Waconia, 75-80--155
T31. Sam Berger, Waconia, 81-77--158
34. Blake Schuler, Waconia, 82-78--160

** - Qualifies for state tournament as individual
 
 
For complete tournament results go to: www.mshsl.org/mshsl/secGolfScoreboard.asp?tournid=18