Dixon High School senior Jace Long and Newburg High School senior J.D. Nash had state championship performances in Missouri State Golf Tournament action this week.
Long was the outright individual state champion in the Missouri Class 2 State Tournament, held Monday and Tuesday at Deer Lake Golf Course in Springfield.
Nash finished in a three-way tie for the Class 1 State Tournament title, held at Silo Ridge Golf & Country Club at Bolivar.
Class 2
Long, an All-America junior golfer who has signed to play at Missouri-Columbia next school year, fired even-par 71-73—144 to win the state title by two strokes over runner-up Jordan McLaurin of Arcadia Valley, who shot 146.
After Monday’s first round Long was tied with Ash Grove’s Jordan Dickson. However, Dickson shot 78 in the second round and tied for fourth with 149.
As a team Ash Grove easily won the state title with 636 followed by Cameron with 660 and Arcadia Valley 665. Belle finished fourth with 666.
Houston’s Dustin Blackburn tied for 37th overall with 169.
Class 1
Nash was tied for first after the first day and despite shooting 79 on the second day still stayed tied for first. He shot 8-over-par 73-79—152. Also shooting 152 were Tipton’s Trey Allison and Windsor’s Josh Sadler.
Also for Newburg junior Shane Lewis was 108th at 105-101—206, sophomore Cameron Smith tied for 112th at 100-110—210 and freshman Drew DeLong shot 119 at 112-105—217.
Laquey’s Brandon Hernandez was 120th, shooting 117-114—231.
Tipton won the team title with 657 while Lee’s Summit Community Christian was second at 686 and Greenwood third with 701.
Class 4
Rolla sophomore Will Baylor won all-state honors in the Class 4 State Tournament, held at Island Green Golf Course at Republic. Baylor finished 10th with 8-over-par 75-77—152.
As a team Rolla, of the Ozark Conference, placed seventh with 649.
Other players for Rolla included junior Chris Martin, who tied for 39th at 81-79—160; junior Brandon Weaver, tied for 49th at 81-81—162, and senior Chris Dodge (94-84—178) and senior Brock Jones (91-87—178) tied for 11th.
Rockhurst won the Class 4 team title with 624 while Park Hill South was runner-up at 627, Ozark third at 635 and the Ozark Conference’s Springfield Kickapoo fourth at 639.
The individual state champion was Springfield Central’s Kevin Kring, who shot 72-72—144,
Class 3
In the Class 3 State Tournament at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield Kearney won the team crown at 628 while Priory was second at 633 and Pembroke Hill third at 643. West Plains, of the Ozark Conference, was eighth at 675.
Sophomore Kevin Bell of Westminster Christian won the Class 3 medalist honors with 5-over-par 149.