Riffle shoots 37 in Zebra 3-way win over Peru, Wabash

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Noah Riffle

Noah Riffle thinks the Rochester boys golf team is capable of making the state finals.

He set the standard in a home win over Peru and Wabash on the back nine at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek on April 19, taking medalist honors with a 37.

Rochester shot a 166, Peru had a 187, and Wabash had a 222.

Riffle’s round included one birdie, six pars and two bogeys. The birdie came on No. 12, the shorter of the two par-5s on the back nine. He said he promised middle school coach Mike Nixon that he would birdie No. 12 before the round.

He said he felt “absolutely amazing” about his round.

“I’ve been working on just a lot of short game over the last summer. I’ve just been really out here working hours just putting and chipping. It’s paid off. When I miss greens, I can get up and down pretty efficiently compared to last year. When I missed, I’d be beyond that bogey.”

J.R. McLochlin added a 41, Drew Strasser and Wes Meadows each had 44s, and Enrique Navarro had a 54.

Rochester had shot a 368 over 18 holes at Stonehenge Golf Club in Winona Lake at the Don Dicken Classic four days earlier.

This marked the first time they had beaten a Three Rivers Conference team this year.

“This is a lot easier course playing a lot shorter, one that we play almost daily that we’re comfortable with,” Rochester coach Mason Heyde said when asked to assess the improvement since the round at Stonehenge. “But that being said, they played a lot better. I liked what I saw out there. We’ve been struggling the last week, and I think most of the guys really held it together, figured a few things out and shot some decent scores.”

Said Riffle on the team’s potential: “I think when everyone’s on, I think we can go to state. I think we can. I think we’re definitely regional bound. … What I’ve seen in qualifying, we’ve had some times where three of us have shot in the 30s. That’s big. If we can do that in sectionals and regionals, I think we can have a good shot at making it to state.”

at Round Barn Golf Club at Mill Creek April 198 (back nine, par 36)

ROCHESTER (166): Noah Riffle 37, J.R. McLochlin 41, Drew Strasser 44, Wes Meadows 44, (Enrique Navarro 54)

PERU (187): Ragland 44, Camden 45, Schwartz 46, Bretzman 52, (Nick (no last name provided) 56)

WABASH (222): Dinkins 45, Christian 56, D. Coffman 59, Perkins 62, (A. Coffman 62), (Blossom 65)

ROCHESTER JV (203): Robert Bozzo 45, Brock Bowers 51, Ashton Musselman 53, Kaeven Brown 54, (Brady Morgan 58), (Davis Renie 59)