Stonacek, Silver Hawks take Heartland titles
Justin Stonacek was not about to jump into the pond with whitecaps slapping the shore at Highlands Golf Course.
“That water looks kind of nasty,” Stonacek said Thursday after he won on the second playoff hole.
The Lincoln Southwest senior won the Heartland Athletic Conference individual title and helped lead the Silver Hawks to the team championship on the links-style course.
Stonacek and Ryan McCarty of Grand Island tied with 1-under-par 71s. In the playoff, the two posted par into the wind on the par-5 first hole. Stonacek rolled in a two-foot putt for par to win the second hole,
Southwest won the team title with a 297 total to edge Lincoln Southeast by two strokes. Taylor Price of Southeast led the Knights with a 72, while teammate Travis Johnson finished fourth with a 73.
“This is a great day for us to come back and show what we can do as a team,” Stonacek said.
At the Lincoln Pius X Invitational earlier this week, Southwest’s Jake Hedgecock won the individual title, but the Silver Hawks lost the team title in a playoff. A week ago, Southwest fell short by by one stroke, finishing runner-up to Bellevue East in a tourney in Lincoln.
“We’ve got a lot of confidence after playing so well and finally winning,” Stonacek said.
Stonacek showed plenty of confidence during his round. He posted three birdies in a row and lipped a putt that would have been a fourth birdie on the front nine. He missed a couple of putts and bogeyed three holes on the back nine, but finished with three pars.
“Coach (Jim Danson) talks about playing to the finish and keeping the focus on the hole you’re playing, not the last hole,” Stonacek said.
“With the playoff, I changed a little and was playing it shot by shot, like match play, to keep the pressure on my opponent,” he said.
Stonacek slammed a 300-yard drive into the strong cross wind on the first playoff hole and recovered from a shot to the right grass bunkers for his par. On the second hole, he ran his short approach shot almost across the hole, despite having to hit off dirt.
Southwest’s Austin Zimmerman finished fifth with a 74, Hedgecock seventh at 75, and Brandon Boosalis 14th at 77.
“Brandon (Boosalis) and Bryce (Brown), our two sophomores, give us a lot,” said Southwest’s Danson. “We have great leadership with Austin Zimmerman and Justin (Stonacek) and Jake (Hedgecock) and our finishes are dictated by how well our sophomores are doing. They have been playing great lately.”
District tournaments begin May 12 and the state tournament is May 20-21.
Reach Ken Hambleton at 473-7313 or khambleton@journalstar.com.
“That water looks kind of nasty,” Stonacek said Thursday after he won on the second playoff hole.
The Lincoln Southwest senior won the Heartland Athletic Conference individual title and helped lead the Silver Hawks to the team championship on the links-style course.
Stonacek and Ryan McCarty of Grand Island tied with 1-under-par 71s. In the playoff, the two posted par into the wind on the par-5 first hole. Stonacek rolled in a two-foot putt for par to win the second hole,
Southwest won the team title with a 297 total to edge Lincoln Southeast by two strokes. Taylor Price of Southeast led the Knights with a 72, while teammate Travis Johnson finished fourth with a 73.
“This is a great day for us to come back and show what we can do as a team,” Stonacek said.
At the Lincoln Pius X Invitational earlier this week, Southwest’s Jake Hedgecock won the individual title, but the Silver Hawks lost the team title in a playoff. A week ago, Southwest fell short by by one stroke, finishing runner-up to Bellevue East in a tourney in Lincoln.
“We’ve got a lot of confidence after playing so well and finally winning,” Stonacek said.
Stonacek showed plenty of confidence during his round. He posted three birdies in a row and lipped a putt that would have been a fourth birdie on the front nine. He missed a couple of putts and bogeyed three holes on the back nine, but finished with three pars.
“Coach (Jim Danson) talks about playing to the finish and keeping the focus on the hole you’re playing, not the last hole,” Stonacek said.
“With the playoff, I changed a little and was playing it shot by shot, like match play, to keep the pressure on my opponent,” he said.
Stonacek slammed a 300-yard drive into the strong cross wind on the first playoff hole and recovered from a shot to the right grass bunkers for his par. On the second hole, he ran his short approach shot almost across the hole, despite having to hit off dirt.
Southwest’s Austin Zimmerman finished fifth with a 74, Hedgecock seventh at 75, and Brandon Boosalis 14th at 77.
“Brandon (Boosalis) and Bryce (Brown), our two sophomores, give us a lot,” said Southwest’s Danson. “We have great leadership with Austin Zimmerman and Justin (Stonacek) and Jake (Hedgecock) and our finishes are dictated by how well our sophomores are doing. They have been playing great lately.”
District tournaments begin May 12 and the state tournament is May 20-21.
Reach Ken Hambleton at 473-7313 or khambleton@journalstar.com.
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