Taylor Huschka led the Sweet Home boys golf team to a win over six other schools Wednesday, April 16, at the Mallard Creek Invitational.
Huschka, a senior, earned medalist honors with a round of 34-38-72 for even par, the lowest round a Sweet Home golfer has shot since 1993. The Huskies’ team score of 327 was also the lowest since 1993.
All that resulted in the Huskies’ best score of the season by 11 strokes, “a really good score for us,” said Coach Tom Horn.
The Huskies’ best-ever team score is 319, carded in 1993 by the team that included Joel Stock and Craig West. Stock went on to play at the University of Oregon, where he placed in the top 10 of the PAC-10 tournament. West did not play college golf but became a “phenomenal amateur player,” Horn said.
Both Nick Zahler and Jake Riggs shot the lowest rounds of their careers. Zahler, a senior, finished as the second-lowest scorer for Sweet Home, and fourth in the match, with 39-39-78, while Riggs, a sophomore, carded 43-43-86. Travis Ramoz shot 44-47-91 and Kaleb Lane finished with 56-52-108 to round out the Huskies’ scoring.
McMinnville finished second with a team score of 338 behind a pair of 75’s from Travis Millman and Casey Dick. Dallas was third (350), followed by West Salem (351), Tillamook (368), Cascade (375) and Lebanon (390).
Horn said Huschka got off to a good start in the match, birdying two of the first three holes.
“Most guys get a good score and they think they shouldn’t be there,” Horn said. “He didn’t do that.”
Horn said that Huschka might have broken par if he hadn’t bogeyed two of the “easier” par 5’s on the course.
He noted that Riggs completed his round with no double bogeys.
Horn said he thought Huschka and the Huskies could have another good day at Agate Beach on Tuesday, April 22. Results of that match came in after The New Era went to press.
“At Agate Beach (Huschka) has a chance to go lower than that,” Horn said. “If everybody’s on at Agate Beach we can be in the 320s again.”
Girls Golf at Middlefield Village
The girls golf team played Middlefield Village Tuesday, April 15, finishing behind Sisters and Cottage Grove.
Sisters, one of the state’s top teams, finished with a 337, as all seven of the Outlaws scored under 92. Cottage Grove was second with 405 and Sweet Home finished with 518.
Tanna Tyler led the Huskies with 119, while Emily Peabody shot 123, Haley Voldbaek 128 and Savana McCalister 138.
Lindsey Reeve of Sisters was the medalist, shooting 79 for the par 67 course.
Creswell had three golfers in the event, but did not place because it takes four to score.
The girls were back in action Monday, April 21, at Quail Run and will play at Aspen Lakes April 29.