St. Joseph looks for more postseason success

Barring interference from Hurricane Gustav, St. Joseph will go for two more postseason golf titles Thursday in the 5-2A South District Tournament at Belvedere Country Club in Hot Springs

Both the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs won district, regional and Class 3A state tournaments last year, but with reclassification, they'll face different competition in 2008.

"I think we've got a chance," St. Joseph coach Chris Kordsmeier said. "Each time we can qualify gives us a chance to repeat (regional and state titles) if we take care of business and do what we're capable of.

"Our goal starting with district is to qualify for the next one, one tournament at a time. We try not to look ahead."

The Bulldog lineup will include four seniors: Austen Moix, Matthew Dail, Josh Rittman and Blake Enderlin. The top three scores will count for team purposes.

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The Lady Bulldog lineup will include Brooke Enderlin, Maegan Wade, Jessie Moix and Heather Moix. As with the boys, the top three scores will count.

But with the new conference, Kordsmeier and his teams don't really know what to expect from their competition. The conference also includes Abundant Life, Conway Christian, Cutter Morning Star, Little Rock Lutheran, Mountain Pine, Poyen and Benton Harmony Grove.

"Poyen is hosting it, so I figure they'll have some kids that can play," Kordsmeier said. "In the past, Lutheran has had some good boys teams. Benton Harmony Grove used to be in our district, so we've seen them play the last couple of years, but they're really the only team I know anything about."

Belvedere, too, is new to the Bulldogs. Again barring weather problems, they'll play a practice round there Wednesday.

"That will be our first look at the course," Kordsmeier said. "The girls state tournament will be there, so it will be a good chance for us to play."

The top three teams Thursday will advance to the Class 2A Region 3 Tournaments at Stonelinks in North Little Rock. The girls regional will be Sept. 18; the boys will follow Sept. 23, with the top three teams from there moving on to the Class 2A State Tournaments. Girls state will be at Belvedere Sept. 30; the boys will play at Turkey Mountain in Horseshoe Bend on Oct. 6.

St. Joe boys and girls are back-to-back defending state champions. The Lady Bulldogs have won eight of their last nine regional tournaments.

ASGA POINTS UPDATE

Austen Moix and Summar Roachell aren't the only local golfers faring well on the Arkansas State Golf Association Player of the Year lists.

Moix, 17, won the junior boys award with a strong showing in the Big "I" national tournament by finishing with 935 points, just ahead of last year's winner, Nicklaus Benton of Cabot with 919.75. Roachell, 13, finished second to Taylor Fisher, 17, of Hot Springs, 1005-980, after Fisher held her off to win the ASGA's Junior Girls Stroke Play Championship.

The standings are updated through Aug. 24.

In the amateur race, Wes McNulty of Pine Bluff is nearing another win. He has 900 points, 40 ahead of Allen McFerran of Fort Smith. Local golfers on the list are Jason Cuthbertson, fourth with 365 points; Kirk Brown of Mountain Home, a former University of Central Arkansas golfer, sixth with 289.75; Lyle Middleton and Rusty Ramsey, tied for 19th with 110; Jeff Campbell, tied for 32nd with 80; and Scotty Campbell, tied for 93rd with 25.

In the mid-senior race, Jay Fox of Little Rock, who will be inducted into the UCA Sports Hall of Fame later this month, tops the list with 720 points. John Siratt of Donaldson is second with 518. Greg Dunseath of Conway is seventh with 243, followed locally by Randy Lloyd, 19th with 77; John Tetens, tied for 22nd with 60; Carter Rickman of Greenbrier, 30th with 53; Travis Douglas, tied for 31st with 50; Dane Glover, 36th with 48; Todd Smith, 49th with 25; and Steve Westbrook, tied for 64th with 12.

Oscar Taylor of Hot Springs Village leads the senior division with 736 points. John Vinson of Batesville is second with 610. Alan Ramsey of Conway is tied for 49th with 30 points. Doug Odom of Greenbrier is 65th with 10.

No local golfers are included in the super-senior standings. Glenn Hickey of Little Rock leads with 935, ahead of second-place Don White of Sparkman with 700.

Other locals on the junior boys list are Landon Hearnes of Mayflower, ninth with 272.5 points; Christopher Stalnaker, tied for 32nd with 75; Josh Rittman, tied for 39th with 50; Matthew Dail, 43rd with 46; Blake Darnell, tied for 63rd with 16; and Ethan King, tied for 71st with 6.

In the girls standings, Brooke Enderlin finished 15th with 125 points, followed locally by Jessie Moix, 24th with 72; Alyssia Duvall of Greenbrier, tied for 25th with 68; Maegan Wade, tied for 37th with 40; Heather Moix, 39th with 38; Erika Setzler, 40th with 30; and Jennifer Hegeman, tied for 42nd with 20.

UPCOMING

Up next on the ASGA designated schedule is the Meadowbrook CC Men's Stroke (amateurs, mid-seniors, seniors, super-seniors), West Memphis, Sept. 6-7; and the River Valley Men's Stroke (amateurs, mid-seniors, seniors, super-seniors), Russellville CC, Sept. 13-14; ASGA Mid-Amateur/Mid-Senior/Public Links Championship (amateurs, mid-seniors), Hurricane Golf and CC, Bryant, Sept. 27-28; ASGA Senior Stroke Play Championship (seniors, super-seniors), Hurricane Golf and CC, Bryant, Sept. 27-28; Arkansas Open (amateurs), Burns Park, North Little Rock, Oct. 10-12.

See the ASGA's Web site at www.asga.org for entry information.

On the upcoming local high school schedule, Conway will play host to Mount St. Mary, Russellville and Cabot on Wednesday and St. Joseph will play in the 5-2A South District Tournament at Belvedere CC in Hot Springs on Thursday. Greenbrier vs. Clinton at Tannenbaum on Tuesday.

Those are the only high school schedules the Log Cabin has received.

(Golf writer Donna Lampkin Stephens may be reached at donnaken@me.com.)