Jackson wins meet at Fox Haven C.C., medalist Christian sets new school record

SIKESTON — Jackson claimed the team title with a score of 298, Dexter showcased its strength with a second-place finish at 308 and Notre Dame (350) and Sikeston (356) rounded out the field during a quad meet at Fox Haven Country Club on Wednesday, March 27.

Dexter's Ben Christian stole the individual spotlight with a blistering 66 (-5), setting a new Dexter High School record at Fox Haven.

Christian carved up the course with surgical precision, his drives finding fairways and his irons painting the pin. His record-setting round leaves no doubt about his potential.

The top 10 finishers were exclusively from Dexter and Jackson, highlighting the intense competition at the top. These golfers were Christian, Jackson's Kael Dameron (72), Dexter's Tucker Temples (73), Jackson's Ian Lambert (74), Jackson's Jimmy Williams (75), Jackson's Marshall Earnhardt (77), Jackson's Dru Eller (77), Dexter's Banks Nesselrodt (80), Jackson's Brayden Moll (81) and Jackson's Bradley Loos (82).

Ideal weather conditions provided the perfect backdrop for the meet, but Sikeston's young squad struggled to find its rhythm. Will Lape led Sikeston's efforts with an 86 (+15), followed by Ben James (89), Henry Arndt (90), Coby Ault (91), Will Sims (92), Eli Stephenson (98), and Kadisson Adell (115).

“We had fantastic weather,” he said. “This was one of the first tournaments where we didn't have gale-force winds. I knew there would be some lower scores because we had some great players competing. These young men aren't just great at golf, they're good-hearted people."

Dejected shoulders and downcast eyes told the story for Sikeston. Players openly voiced their dissatisfaction, knowing they were capable of much more.

Despite the results, Sikeston coach Marvin Whitson emphasized the positive aspects of the day.

“They kept playing and found the things we can build off of,” Whitson said. “They know the only way they're going to improve is through repetition, and today was a learning experience. They know the good is coming."

Whitson’s focus wasn't on missed fairways or putts that rimmed out, but on building a solid foundation for future success.

"We didn't play our best but still had a decent score for us.,” he said. “We have a lot of young kids who just started playing. We're working to be playing our best by districts and hopefully, we can move some kids on to state.

"We looked fantastic on the range,” Whitson continued. “We looked fantastic through the first few holes, but after that, we seem to tend to crash."

Sikeston travels to the Farmington Tournament on Wednesday, April 3, and the Ste. Genevieve Tournament on April 10.