Bulldogs one shot out of second in Class 3

~ Notre Dame was in sixth place after the first round of the state tournament

Notre Dame found itself one-stroke out of second place but 18 shots off the lead after the first day of the Class 3 state golf tournament Monday at the Island Green Golf Club in Republic, Mo.

Notre Dame posted a first-day total of 317, which put the Bulldogs in sixth place, just one shot out of a four-way tie for second that included Dexter, Pembroke Hill, St. Francis Borgia and Warrensburg.

Westminster Christian Academy had a comfortable 17-stroke lead entering today's final round.

Notre Dame sophomores Gunnar Knudtson and Jake Seabaugh led Notre Dame with 5-over-par 77s. Knudtson and Seabaugh were tied for 16th, seven shots off the pace set by Kevin Bell of Westminster Christian who shot an opening 70.

Notre Dame junior Kurt Heischmidt carded a 79 and sophomore Tyler Arpin rounded out the Bulldogs' first-day team total with an 84.

In Class 4 at Sedalia Country Club in Sedalia, Mo., Jackson junior Tanner Werner opened with a 6-over-par 76 that put him six shots off the lead. Werner played the front nine in even-par 35, but bogeyed six holes on the back nine for a 41.

Werner, who won the Class 4 District 1 tournament last week at Dalhousie Golf Club with a 1-under-par 71, was tied for 24th. Werner is a three-time state qualifier and finished tied for second at the state tournament as a freshman.

Werner's sophomore teammate Drew Hosp opened with an 81 and was tied for 68th.

Central sophomore Corey Connell was two strokes back at 83.

Kyle Weldon of Parkway South and Mark Castera of Rockhurst were tied for the individual first-day lead at even-par 70. Poplar Bluff's Trenton Hillis was two shots back and in a three-way tie for fourth. Poplar Bluff's Carr Vernon was another two strokes back at 74 as the Mules sat fourth in the team standings, five shots behind co-leaders Springfield Glendale and Rockhurst.

St. Vincent and Saxony Lutheran both were competing in the team competition at the Class 1 tournament at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield, Mo.

St. Vincent's top four golfers combined for a sixth-place total of 354, which was 22 shots off the pace of front-runner Marceline. Saxony Lutheran, which qualified four individuals to qualify for the team scoring, was tied for 10th at 409.

St. Vincent senior Ben Schremp, a three-time state qualifier, led the local Class 1 contingent with a 9-over-par 81. Schremp, tied for ninth, was seven shots behind leader Isaac Garber of Tipton, who had a one-shot lead after an opening 74.

Rounding out St. Vincent's first-day team score were junior Dustin Yamnitz (88), sophomore Sean Martin (92) and senior Brandon Trapp (93). Junior Brett Wengert shot 95.

Saxony Lutheran junior Zach Vaeth, a three-time state qualifier, paced the Crusaders with a 97. Saxony's three other individual qualifiers are junior Garrett Brewer (100), senior Adam Boehme (105) and freshman Collin Sprandel (107).