Pioneer edges Rochester on tiebreaker, advances to regional for first time in school history
- Val T.
- 8 hours ago
- 6 min read
Zebras’ Renie advances as individual
BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
LOGANSPORT — If you have not seen sophomore Dane Bowditch play much with the Pioneer boys golf team, it’s understandable.
The other guys on the team do not see him much either.
But while one might know Bowditch more for his exploits as a runner on the Pioneer track team during the spring, he was also finding time to sneak in nine holes or get in some work on the driving range after track practice at Dykeman Park Golf Course.
And that practice paid off with a historic round at Dykeman Park at the Logansport sectional Friday after Bowditch shot a team-low 79 to help Pioneer shoot a 330 and finish in third place and advance to the regional for the first time in school history.
Logansport won the sectional on its home course with a 298, and Twin Lakes was second with a 299.
Rochester also shot a 330 but had to settle for fourth after Pioneer beat them on the fifth player’s score tiebreaker; however, Rochester’s Davis Renie shot a 78 to advance as one of the three lowest scorers among individuals on non-advancing teams.
In addition to Renie, Rensselaer’s Beck Drone (77) and Frontier’s Brady Greer (79) also advanced.
Among other area teams in the 11-team field, Winamac shot a 369 and was seventh, and Caston shot a 370 and was eighth.
Twin Lakes’ Leo Dellinger shot a 69 to earn sectional medalist honors for the third straight year.
Rochester was in the day’s final group with Logansport and Twin Lakes while Pioneer was teamed with Rensselaer and Tri-County in the next-to-last group.
Rochester was third after the front nine and held a 157-162 lead on Pioneer.
But as Rochester players were finishing, they were aware that Pioneer’s 330 had already been posted.
Renie, Rochester’s No. 2 player, dropped in a 20-footer for birdie on No. 18, and No. 1 player Isaac Heishman followed with a par.
When players, coaches and parents gathered at Dykeman Park’s new clubhouse, Pioneer knew they had already beaten Rensselaer by one stroke and knew they had a fifth player’s score advantage on Rochester.
If Heishman scored an 81 or better, the Zebras would be advancing. He scored an 82.
Pioneer players and coaches began to celebrate. Sitting just a couple feet away, Rochester players looked sullenly into the void before walking back to their bus.
In addition to Bowditch, Ivan Reyes had an 80, Micah Rans had an 82, Brady Price had an 89, and Tayt Smith had an 89.
Pioneer was fourth at last year’s sectional. They finished 38 strokes behind Rochester, who was second. The only player different from last year’s team is Bowditch.
Pioneer will travel to Sandy Pines Golf Club in DeMotte for Thursday’s regional. Pioneer players will tee off in 10-minute intervals from 8:50 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on the back nine.
“We’re super ecstatic and happy,” Pioneer coach Kyle Rans said. “Our goal was to shoot a 330, which was crazy that we actually hit that number. We said that early in the season we wanted to hit 330. We shot 350 last year, so we made a big difference from last year. We were hoping we could get Rochester. It came down to our (number) five player Tayt Smith, who’s a senior. He shot 89, so (I’m) ecstatic for him. Pioneer has never (gone) as a team… to regionals, so we’re excited we get that opportunity.”
As for Rochester, Ashton Musselman supported Renie and Heishman with an 81, Brady Morgan had an 89, and Brevin Nicholson had a 107.
“It’s just a rough way for a season to end,” Rochester coach Mason Heyde said. “Davis is advancing, so we’ll take him to regionals and have fun with that. But tying and losing on the fifth score, every kid out here can pinpoint one if not three to five strokes that should have fallen but didn’t fall. Bad shot. That’s why we always say don’t let a bad shot make a bad hole or a bad hole make a bad stretch. You’ve got to figure out how to rebound quickly. I don’t think anyone got in a huge rut and just really fell apart.”
Brendan Hines topped Winamac with an 85. Logan Fredel, a track rival of Bowditch’s, shot a 92, Talen Garner had a 95, Will Biros had a 97, and Jayden Beckner had a 122.
Max Sommers was Caston’s low player with an 85. Lucas Graham added an 86, Owen Chapman had an 89, Jace Rentschler had a 110, and Gage Thomas had a 121.
While Pond View Golf Course in Star City is technically Pioneer’s home course, Bowditch is more comfortable at Dykeman Park, according to coach Rans.
“This is his home course,” coach Rans said. “He’s grown up playing this course. He’s a primary track guy, and then he plays with us and practices after his track practice. … This is his secondary sport, but we knew he would shoot well here. We had him about 70% of the time in the regular season. We had him at conference, and we won conference at Round Barn (Golf Club at Mill Creek in Rochester), and then had him today so definitely needed his scorecard.”
Bowditch was fourth in the 1,600 meters and sixth in the 3,200 meters at the Kokomo sectional May 22 in track, and he also ran a leg on the victorious 4 x 800 relay. Bowditch ran legs on both the 4 x 800 and 4 x 400 relay at the Lafayette Jeff regional just eight days ago.
“This is my first year on the golf team,” Bowditch said. “I did track last year, and I actually did track this year, but I’m glad I could help the team out.”
Bowditch said he changed his mindset about golf.
“Well, last year I honestly didn’t think of it as a possibility for me to play on the golf team as well as track,” Bowditch said. “My theory is you can play golf for the rest of your life, so why would I play golf instead of track? This year I talked to Mr. (John) Bingaman (Pioneer athletic director), and it ended up working out, so I was happy to come play. It’s not that big of a deal because I’m up at the golf course most of the nights anyway.”
Bowditch’s track season ended at regional, so that gave him more time to devote to golf.
“I think being able to play every day, and I probably played more this week than I have most days for the rest of the year,” Bowditch said. “I think that really helped me today.”
Bowditch said he lives “just down the road” from Dykeman Park.
“Usually after track practice, I come up here and practice golf with my grandpa or my dad,” Bowditch said. “They keep me honest at the golf course because they’re both really good.”
Bowditch said his short game was “pretty decent” and added he needed to have a good short game because he said his iron play was off.
He was asked if being in track shape helped his golf game.
“Probably not,” Bowditch quipped. “I’m real skinny. So I mean, technically, I can’t hit it as far as everyone else. Like Micah or Brady, they hit it way further. I think that just coming up here and playing every night really helps.”
Logansport sectional
Logansport 298, Twin Lakes 299, Pioneer 330, Rochester 330, Rensselaer 331, Frontier 362, Winamac 369, Caston 370, Tri-County 379, North Newton 384, South Newton 495
at Dykeman Park Golf Course (par 70)
LOGANSPORT (298): Taylor 71, Baldwin 74, Brandstatter 74, Rozzi 79, (Lange 79)
TWIN LAKES (299): Delliner 69, Kaufmann 71,Roth 79, Woodley 80, (Kyser 85)
PIONEER (330): Dane Bowditch (39-40) 79, Ivan Reyes (37-43) 80, Micah Rans (46-36) 82, Brady Price (41-48) 89, (Tayt Smith (45-44) 89)
ROCHESTER (330): Davis Renie (36-42) 78, Ashton Musselman (36-45) 81, Isaac Heishman (42-40) 82, Brady Morgan (43-46) 89, (Brevin Nicholson (54-53) 107)
RENSSELAER (331): B. Drone 77, C. Drone 82, Knoth 84, Lapsley 88, (VanMeter 99)
FRONTIER (362): Greer 79, Pekny 88, Alfano 97, Covert 98, (Whitaker 101)
WINAMAC (369): Brendan Hines (44-41) 85, Logan Fredel (44-48) 92, Talen Garner (46-49) 95, Will Biros (49-48) 97, (Jayden Beckner (59-63) 122)
CASTON (370): Max Sommers (41-44) 85, Lucas Graham (42-44) 86, Owen Chapman (47-42) 89, Jace Rentschler (55-55) 110, (Gage Thomas (55-66) 121)
TRI-COUNTY (379): Dreblow 88, Northrup 92, Orns 99, Aldez 100, (Pillotte 107)
NORTH NEWTON (384): Mark 91, Johnson 94, LaCosse 98, DeYoung 101, (Mathis 107)
SOUTH NEWTON (495): Drey 117, Bivins 123, Coleman 126, Kollman 129, (Reitsma 137)
Comentarios