Alan Hoskins
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
College Advancement
Led by medalist Derrick Ashe, the Kansas City Kansas Community College golf team turned in its best performance of the season in the Jayhawk Conference Designated Tournament at Hesston Monday.
A sophomore from Baxter Springs, Ashe battled the cold and high winds to fire a two-over par 73 to lead the Blue Devils to within one shot of winning the event, which was shortened to 18 holes due to cold weather.
Dodge City became the first team other than Hutchinson to win a designated tournament, finishing at 301 with KCKCC a stroke back at 302 and Hutch third at 308. The win enabled Dodge City to move past Johnson County into second place in the team standings as the Cavaliers finished fourth (315) followed by Coffeyville (319), Barton County (327), Independence and Pratt (328), Allen County (330) and Colby (342).
Tyler Harper, a sophomore from Shawnee Heights, tied for fourth with a 75 with Boonville, Mo., sophomore Brice Quinlan tying for seventh with a 76 and Shawnee Heights freshman Patrick Shaw placing 16th with a 78.
It was the second straight tournament that Ashe has taken medalist honors. Competing in the Evangel University Spring Golf Invitational in Springfield, Mo., March 27-28, Ashe took medalist honors with a 78-70-148 total. The only community college in the 12-team field, the Blue Devils (638) finished fourth behind Missouri Valley (623), Evangel (626) and Dakota Wesleyan (632).
Fourth in the Jayhawk with the KJCCC championship remaining, the Blue Devils (329) finished third behind Hutchinson (331) and Johnson County (329) in the opening Designated Tournament at Falcon Lakes March 23-24. Harper (79-76-155) and freshman Ben Moser (77-78-155) of Washburn Rural tied for third with Quinlan tying for 13th with an 88-76-184.
The Blue Devils will compete in the William Jewell Invitational at Claycrest Thursday and Friday before competing in the KJCCC championship at Sand Creek in Newton April 19-21. Their bid for a berth in the national tournament will comet at the NJCAAA Region 6 championships in Gothenburg, Neb., April 25-28 and then will close out the regular season at the Indian Hills Invitational in Ottumwa, Iowa, May 4-5.