The Three Lakes-Phelps varsity golf team finally got over the hump to qualify for the state golf tournament for the first time in program history last week, where the Bluejays finished in sixth place in D3 competition last Monday and Tuesday at University Ridge in Madison.

Out of eight schools, Kohler came away as the D3 state champion with a two-day total of 623 strokes, while Prentice finished runner-up at 631.

The Bluejays finished a wet first day at the state tournament in fourth place with a team score of 343 and slipped back on the second day with a team score of 358 to finish with a two-day team total of 701.

Head Coach Michele Brown and the guys were excited to get down to Madison to compete against the best from around the state. The experience was unforgettable.

“What an awesome experience at state, one that the boys and I will never forget,” said Brown. “From playing the practice round and getting a feel for the course, to playing with the champion and runner-up teams both days. Just an incredible three days of golf, playing with some of the best golfers in D3. We had so many firsts this year.”

Senior Grayson Polcaster paced the team in Madison with a tie for 16th overall with his two-day score of 161. He shot 82 on the first day and 79 on day two.

Polcaster was the last Bluejay to head out on the course on both days and started one under through his first four holes of the tournament. He went plus seven over the rest of the front nine to shoot 42 before having pars on five of the first six holes on the back to settle in. Polcaster finished with a 40 on the back to finish his opening round.

An improvement on day two saw Polcaster have seven bogeys and 11 pars on the card, with nothing worse than a bogey. He shot 39 on the front and 40 on the back to improve his day one score by three strokes.

Outside of Polcaster performing well, he and his teammates took time to reflect on their experience.

“I thought it was really cool to play a two-day tournament and also compete against the better players in the state,” Polcaster said. “I feel like the way they set it up makes it feel special when you’re there.”

Junior Owen Liebscher, freshman Trenton Peterson and sophomore Sean Wallschlaeger all finished in a row in a tie for 36th, solo 39th and solo 40th with two-day scores of 179, 181 and 183. Senior Levi Lurvey finished a few strokes behind that at 188.

Liebscher sported a nice opening round 83 as one of the first Bluejays to hit University Ridge last Monday afternoon. He had four bogeys and one birdie on the front to accompany two bogeys and two doubles on the back for a 41 and 42. Day two course conditions showed their teeth, leading to Liebscher having a few triples and a quad on the card for a 96.

Peterson has been a steady presence for the Bluejays as a freshman varsity player. Like his teammates, Peterson was rock steady on day one. He went out in 41 with five bogeys and came in with a 44 for his first day score of 85. Round two was a bit different and tied Liebscher with a 96.

“The state tournament was awesome, although it was incredibly tough; it was still a very cool experience,” stated Peterson. “Going as a freshman is an amazing feeling, and I hope to be back again.”

Wallschlaeger finished with a 93 on day one, but a nine on his second hole of the day put a damper on his score early on. He did bounce back on day two with a 90, posting a 49 on his first nine and a solid 41 in his final nine holes with five bogeys and four pars.

“State was tough, but I am super grateful to make it. Amazing year with a lot of consistent scores from the boys,” mentioned Wallschlaeger.

Lurvey improved over both days and was pretty consistent in his scoring. He shot 95 on day one with five pars and five bogeys. Day two saw his score drop by two shots for a 93.

“It was pretty cool to end my senior year at the end goal of state and to go out with a bang,” Lurvey said. “I made memories at state that I will always remember.”

All-conference nominations

The team got to where they were this year with the help of consistent play and winning the conference championship. Five of the Bluejays made the all-conference first or second team this season. Polcaster, Peterson and Wallschlaeger were all named first-team recipients, while Matthew Klein and Levi Lurvey were named to the second team. All five athletes showed consistency on the links, with multiple guys having medalist performances throughout the season. In most meets, all five players finished inside the top 10 in scoring.