Athlete of the week

Central senior golfer Tim Simmons knew he was enjoying a solid round as he prepared to tee off on his final hole at the Saxony Lutheran Invitational at Dalhousie Golf Course on Thursday.

Simmons managed a bogey on his final hole, which earned him a share of the medalist honors with a 3-over-par 74.

"I was pretty confident coming in that I would get the top three," Simmons said Thursday. "The wind got up and the course got pretty tough to play."

Simmons helped the Tigers finish fourth in the 22-team field.

Simmons earned a trip to the Class 4 state meet as a sophomore and junior, and hopes to make another trip during his final year of high school. He said he worked on his putting to improve his chances at the state meet.

"Putting is a key," Simmons said. "My dad has always told me the state tournament is a two-day putting contest. Everybody can hit their shots, but you've got to putt to play good at state, and I really tried to put a lot of work in and I still am.

"I feel confident I can make it to state for the third year. I set the goal at the beginning of the season to go to state and finish top five at state."

Simmons enjoyed success earlier in the week as well. He tied with teammate Cole Viers for the team's low score (38) in a 157-164 victory over Dexter on Wednesday, and shot the team's low score (80) at the Poplar Bluff Invitational on Tuesday.