The Bluejay golfers put together one of their best rounds of the season in last Tuesday’s WIAA Stevens Point regional, but it wasn’t quite enough to make the top-four sectional cut.
The Jays ended up sixth in the eight-team regional, but just three strokes behind final qualifier Wausau East.
“I was proud of the way the boys came out of the gate, playing well on the front nine in the rain and posting one of our best nine-hole team totals,” MHS coach Joe Mertens said. “They were understandably disappointed having come so close to moving on as a team.”
The season isn’t over for Merrill, however, as both Mike Pagel and Kevin Lee were among four individual qualifiers of non-qualifying teams. Pagel tied for 11th of 40 golfers with his 85, while Lee tied for 13th with 86.
“Kevin got off to a good start, birdying the second hole which set him in a good frame of mine early on,” Mertens said. “The holes I observed him play found him scrambling to save par and bogie. Kevin was grinding out pars when a score of bogie or higher could have been easy to make and he made some clutch short puts to save his score. Kevin’s long game was not as accurate and put him in some tough situations. Kevin never gave up and fought for every stroke he made.
“Mike’s game for the day was different. Mike played well enough to shoot in the mid 70’s but his short game was not spot on. Mike even made a nine on a back-nine hole due to one errant shot and to show how close the team scores can get, turn that nine into a five and we would have qualified as a team. Mike played pretty well overall and I anticipate he will have a fair shot at sectionals and I also expect Kevin to work hard and turn in a well earned score.”
MHS–Mike Pagel 41-44–85, Kevin Lee 40-46–86, Brett Woller 47-45–92, Ryan Marsceau 43-49–92, Philip Guenther 43-53–96.
Standings– Point 313, Marshfield 332, W. West 345, W. East 352, D.C.E. 354, Merrill 355, Antigo 365, Rhinelander 393.