Bulldogs’

Metro meet

washed out

OHS linksters

prepare for

district meet

COURIER SPORTS STAFF

DES MOINES — The

clock starts ticking now.

It’s officially game time

this Tuesday at Finkbine in

Iowa City for the Ottumwa

boys golf team.

Mother Nature wouldn’t

allow another tune-up

meet in advance of the

Bulldogs’ district contest to

qualify for a chance to

defend their Class 4A state

title.

The Bulldogs and head

coach Mike Cardin saw the

second leg of the CIML

Metro Conference meet at

Blank Golf Course in Des

Moines get canceled

because of rain on Thursday.

The Bulldogs were able

to get several holes in but

rain and lightning forced

the premature end of the

league get-together.

Scores from the first

round at Grandview were

used as the final totals,

which took place Aug. 21.

That meet saw Ottumwa

come out on top as a team

with a 288. Des Moines

Roosevelt was second with

a 316.

Ottumwa’s Michael

Wetrich and Des Moines

Lincoln’s Zach Steffen each

tied for medalist honors

with one-under pars 69.

The Bulldogs’ Tyler

Granneman finished runner-

up medalist as he fired

a 71.

Cardin was happy that

his linksters at least got

some time out on the

course before the

inclement weather forced

evacuation.

“We decided you either

get it all in or it’s a wash,”

said Cardin, bearer of

seven state titles for

Ottumwa. “The good part

was getting some confidence

back for the guys.”

Taylor Maas and Cody

Palmer were each under

par when the meet was

halted. Wetrich was evenpar

through six holes.

Cardin’s postseason

lineup is set for Tuesday,

which will feature all

Cedar Rapids schools as

well as Iowa City High and

the host Iowa City West

Trojans. Cardin will bring six golfers to the table in an effort to

advance to the state meet, held at Davenport Country Club in

Pleasant Valley on Oct. 9-10.

Those golfers are Wetrich, Granneman, Maas, Marcus

Giltner, Cody Palmer and Zach Throckmorton.

Ottumwa shot 300 as a team in its practice round at

Finkbine, a total Cardin believes should comfortably qualify

his team for state. The Bulldog head coach said course management

and believing in oneself is key.

“We can always beat ourselves. I don’t think there’s three

teams in there that can beat us,” said Cardin.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy poses the biggest threat to

Ottumwa and Cardin stated he doesn’t think the team has

been beaten this season. Other teams at the meet are Burlington,

Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Cedar Rapids Washington, Davenport

West, Linn-Mar, Muscatine, Newton, Cedar Rapids

Prairie, Cedar Rapids Xavier and the two Iowa City schools.

The top three teams in each four districts of Class 4A fall

golf qualify for the state meet.