Hammersland brothers help Warriors pick up wins on the golf course
Owen Hammersland (pictured here) and younger brother Griffen led the Central boys golf team last week, helping the Warriors win two of three meets. (Photos by Willis Patenaude)
Katie Royer was Central’s top girls finisher in all three meets last week.
Griffen Hammersland placed first in two golf meets and second in another last week.
Rayanne Dunlap watches her golf ball after a drive in one of last week's meets in Elkader.
By Willis Patenaude | Times-Register
It was a week to remember for Central golf and brothers Owen and Griffen Hammersland, who combined for three wins and two top-five finishes, leading the boys team to victory in two of three meets.
Action started April 29 against MFL MarMac, where Griffen Hammersland led the way for the Warriors, shooting a 39 to tie Bulldog Quinn McGeough for first place. Owen Burke was next for the Warriors, earning a 43 for sixth place, while Owen Hammersland shot a 47 for ninth. Caden Fette rounded out the top 10, shooting a 48.
As a team, Central finished with a score of 177, losing to the Bulldogs, who shot a team round 163. It was the only time the Warriors lost all week.
On May 1, Central welcomed the Postville Pirates to the Elkader Golf & Country Club. Undeterred by the chilly weather, the Warriors soundly defeated the Pirates 163 to 201, with the Hammersland brothers sweeping the top spots. Sophomore Owen shot a 36, taking first place by one stroke over younger brother Griffen, who ended with a 37. Fette made it a clean sweep for Central, finishing in third place with a 44, and Burke was fourth with a 46. Isaac Loan also finished in the top 10, shooting a 47 to hit the clubhouse in sixth place.
The Warriors continued winning May 2 versus the Turkey Valley Trojans, for the last home meet of the season, but before a ball was struck, Brandi Herman and Jack Scherf were honored for senior night.
Once they hit the course, it was all Griffen Hammersland, who put up a 38 to take first place by two strokes over Nicholas Bernhard from Turkey Valley. Burke finished third with a 43, and Owen Hammersland, who played alongside his brother on another cold evening, took fourth with a 44. Fette rounded out the top five with a 45. Loan finished seventh after shooting a 50 and Jamison Feickert was ninth with a 51. The Warriors defeated the Trojans 170-188.
The girls also started last week against MFL MarMac on April 29, but lost 217 to 284 and were frozen out of the top five. Katie Royer was the highest placing Warrior in seventh, after shooting a 60, seven strokes behind the leader. Herman finished ninth with a 68.
Central fared better versus Postville, with Royer securing second place with a 59, just two strokes out of first, and Addison Amsden cracked the top five with a 64. Rayanne Dunlap shot a 72 to finish eighth and Mayleigh Medberry finished ninth after carding a 75.
On May 2, despite the outcome versus Turkey Valley, in which the Warriors lost 215 to 248, the team was all smiles and having a good time. When the round was over, Royer was in fourth place after shooting a 58, while Amsden was sixth and Frieden seventh, after they both shot a 62. Dunlap came off the final green in eighth place with a 66, and Medberry ended the meet with a 77 in ninth place.
The Warriors move closer to conference golf with three meets this week, starting May 5 at Sunnyside Waterloo, followed by a trip to the Guttenberg Golf and Country Club May 8. On May 9 is a makeup meet against North Fayette Valley.
