Golfers win team title at Hawley meet

By Sam Waller

The Albany Lions golf team won the team title with two of the top three individual scores Wednesday, March 2, at the Hawley tournament.

Albany followed up by finishing eighth at the Eula tournament, played Monday, March 7, at Shady Oaks Golf Course.

The ­Lions carded a team score of 373 at Hawley’s Twisted Oaks Golf Course, finishing five strokes ahead of Hawley, playing on its home course.

Ty Richards shot 87 to claim medalist honors with Houston Heatly finishing third at 90.

Lute Wheeler, last year’s District 10-2A medalist, shot 94, followed by Ayden Balliew at 102 and Koy Cauble at 107.

Brody Brown played as a medalist entry, shooting 92.

“The guys hadn’t swung the sticks much,” coach Tate Thompson said. “This was a tournament to get them broken in and figure out what they need to work on.”

At the Eula tournament, Albany shot 369 as a team. Heatly posted the team’s low score with an 87, followed by Richards at 91, Wheeler at 95, Balliew at 96 and Cauble at 105.

“Although we finished eighth as a team, there were 20 teams there, and a majority of them were larger schools,” Thompson said.

Albany entered three medalists with Luke Marshall shooting 90, Brown 96, and Taren Farmer 143.

“Our biggest goal was to get the golfers exposed to Shady Oaks, which is where they will play their district rounds,” Thompson said. “Getting them used to the course will be important.”

The Lions return to Shady Oaks Monday, March 21 for the Baird tournament. The District 10-2A rounds will be played April 4 and 6.