Heckel 2nd Tuesday, wins at Nekoosa; team 2nd in GNC

MEDFORD GOLF

Four meets into the Great Northern Conference golf season, nothing has changed for the top three teams.

At Rhinelander’s Northwood Golf Course Tuesday, the Lakeland Thunderbirds, Medford Raiders and Rhinelander Hodags again finished first, second and third in the team standings and appear destined to stay in those spots with three meets remaining.

Lakeland extended its GNC winning streak to 25 meets in a row by posting a team score of 308, while Medford’s 336 held off Rhinelander by five shots. Mosinee got by Antigo 346-347 for fourth, while Northland Pines (373) and Tomahawk (423) were sixth and seventh.

The individual competition was tight on the par-72 course. Mosinee’s Jett Walters emerged as the winner for the first time in a GNC meet as he carded a 3-overpar 75 to finish one stroke ahead of four golfers, including Medford senior Caleb Heckel. Heckel extended his recent run of strong play with his fourth straight sub-80 round. His 4-over-par 76 featured birdies on the par-5 second hole, the par-4 sixth, the par-5 seventh and par-4 12th. He tied the league’s individual leader, Kaeden Nomm of Lakeland, Rhinelander’s Koldyn Gechas and Lakeland’s Matt Haggart.

Lakeland’s Cody Olson was sixth with his 77, T-Bird Jack Rubo was eighth with a 79, Rhinelander’s Brody Kowieski shot an 80 and Antigo’s Joey Volpentesta and Logan Kramsvogel of Northland Pines tied for ninth with 81s.

With 19 points, Heckel sits in sixth place in the individual standings, 2.5 points behind Rubo for the last All-GNC first-team spot. Nomm is the runaway leader with 37 points, 11 ahead of Volpentesta, 12 ahead of Olson and 13 ahead of Haggart.

Medford freshman Zachary Hintz tied sophomore teammate Connor Lingen for 12th in Tuesday’s meet as both shot 85s. Hintz birdied the par-5 sixth hole during his round and parred five more holes. Lingen and Hinzt were two of several golfers to eagle the par-5 second hole. Lingen had nine pars in his round, but some early double bogeys hurt him. He shot a solid 39 on the back nine. Lingen is in ninth place individually with 10 points through four meets.

Riley Viergutz was part of a three-way tie for 16th with a 90 that included birdies on holes two and 16. Hole 16 is another 500-yard par-5. Lucas Liske tied for 22nd with a 93 that included birdies on two, six and the par-4 14th hole.

Conference play continues today, Thursday, at Northland Pines on the Eagle River Golf Course and Friday at Lakeland at Timber Ridge. The final GNC meet is set for Tuesday at Antigo’s Bass Lake Country Club.

2nd on Saturday

Medford put three golfers among the top 10 finishers Saturday during a second-place finish at the 14-team Stanley- Boyd Invitational, held at the par-72 Whispering Pines Golf Course in Cadott. The Raiders posted a team score of 328 to fall six strokes behind the McDonell-Regis co-op, a team Medford could run into in sectional competition later this season.

Lingen and Heckel both shot 5-overpar 77s to land in a three-way tie for third place out of 71 golfers. Ben Biskupski of McDonell-Regis was the other golfer at 77. Andrew Bauer of McDonell-Regis won the meet with an even-par 72, four shots ahead of Neillsville’s Nolan John.

Lingen and Heckel both had just one double bogey in their respective rounds. Lingen had 10 pars and birdied the par-3 fourth hole as well as the par-5 17th. Heckel also parred 10 holes and birdied the fourth and 17th holes.

Hintz tied Columbus Catholic’s Cole Noreen for ninth with an 11-over-par 83. He also birdied the par-3 fourth, parred eight holes and had just two double bogeys. Lucas Liske tied for 24th with a solid round of 91 and Riley Viergutz tied for 30th with a 92 that included a birdie on the par-4 eighth hole.

Durand finished third in the team standings, 12 shots behind Medford at 340. Bloomer (344), Neillsville (350), Colfax- Elk Mound (366), Columbus Catholic (371), Holmen (379), Eleva-Strum (385) and Osseo-Fairchild (389) rounded out the top 10.

Heckel wins at Nekoosa

Heckel was the meet medalist with a round of 77 during the Raiders’ solid fourth-place finish at the 22-team Nekoosa Papermaker Invitational held on The Lakes Course at Lake Arrowhead on May 4.

Heckel was 3-over-par with a 39 on the front nine and two over with a 38 on the back nine of the par-72 course. Lingen wasn’t far behind, also shooting a 38 on the back nine. He had a 41 on the front nine to finish with a 79. He tied Marathon’s Noah Gage, Sauk Prairie’s Garret Mittlestadt and Grant Marsich of Wisconsin Dells for fifth place out of 109 golfers.

Heckel was one shot ahead of the second- place trio of Carter Morrison of Wisconsin Rapids and Wausau West’s Chase Prohaska and Tyler Skogstad.

Lucas Liske was Medford’s third-best scorer for the day with a 90 (46-44). Riley Viergutz (47-46) and Zachary Hintz (44-49) both shot 93s.

Wausau West and Wisconsin Rapids tied for the team title with scores of 324. Hartford edged Medford by one, 338-339 to place third, while Marathon took fifth at 345. La Crosse Aquinas (354), Marshfi eld (355), Sauk Prairie (357), Arcadia (363) and Wautoma (364) rounded out the top 10.

Zachary Hintz watches his birdie putt attempt roll toward the cup on the par-3 15th hole Tuesday. He parred the hole.JEREMY MAYO/NORTHWOODS RIVER NEWS