THE GOWRIE NEWS
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
5
1980 Boys Golf Team Return Home
As State Champions for Gowrie
By Rick Vinsand
Since 1928 the IHSAA (Iowa High School Association
Athletics) has sponsored the State Golf Tournament,
thus making this school year’s 2019-20 State Meets the
93rd in the history of the organization.
The Iowa State Boys State Golf Tournament was only
one class until 1959 when it split into two classes. A threeclass
tournament began in 1977, with the fourth class added
in 1982.
From 1986-1993 schools could also play for a State
Fall Championship, in 1994 Class 4A schools could only
compete in the fall. From 1928 until 1975, the Boys State
Golf Tournament was a one-day event consisting of 18
holes played for the title. The only exceptions were the fall
of 1940 and the spring of 1942 tournaments.
In 1975, the state golf competition changed to a twoday
competition, playing a 36-hole event unless shortened
by the weather. The number of players on a team
has changed, starting with five and scoring the four lowest
to six-player teams with the lowest five scores (per day)
counting.
After the Prairie High Boys Basketball team had lost
out in the state tournament in March 1980, Panther forward
Alan Carlon vowed he would be returning to another
state tournament this spring.
Alan was referring to the Iowa State Golf Tournament,
he then helped carry out his prediction. The Panthers not
only qualified for the state tournament but returned home
as the 1980 Iowa State Champions in Class 1-A.
Along with the large state Championship trophy
awarded the team, other honors were bestowed upon Panther
Coach Rich Meyer. Meyer was presented with the
1980 State Champion Coach’s Achievement Award.
It was the fifth attempt at the state title for the Prairie
boys, who had made it to the state golf tournament four out
of five years. The 1980 attempt was the most successful
of all, winning the top spot in a rugged test on the tough
Veenker Course in Ames, IA.
The Panthers finished 1st with a total score of 680,
giving the boys a fourteen stroke margin over 2nd place
Rock Valley, which finished with a 694.
Previous Prairie boys state tournament teams finished
18th at the state meet in 1972 at Ames, 6th in 1976 at Iowa
City and 3rd in 1977 at Storm Lake. In 1978 Both Prairie
and Dayton advance to the State I-A golf tournament to be
played on the Finkbine Golf course at Iowa City, where
Prairie finished 3rd in the State Tournament.
Prairie’s Mike Lind was a medalist for the tournament
shooting rounds of 36-38=74. Todd Mason of the Panthers
also fired 37-41=78, other state qualifiers for the Panthers,
were two sophomores Mark Christianson and Steve Tucker.
The 1980 Boys golf team finished 1st in the 1A State
Tournament. The boy’s golf squad finished the 1980 season
with a 7 and 4 duel record, placed 1st in the Conference
Tournament, 1st in Sectionals, 1st in District, and 1st
in the 1-A State Golf Tournament.
In the tournament, Mark Christianson led the Panthers
with an 83-80=163 to give him a 7th place medal. Others
scoring were Roger Bell with 89-83=171, Alan Carlon
shot an 89-83=172, Steve Tucker tallied a 90-85=175, Pat
Rabbitt added a 90-86=176.
The 1984 Prairie High School Boys Golf Team came
close to winning another state championship. However,
Adel-De-Soto earned the top spot, with the Panthers winning
the runner-up trophy.
The victory was taken pretty much in stride by Praire
Coach Rich Meyer, whose girls’ golf team won the state
championship last year. In recent years, he’s had either a
girls team or boys team in contention for the state title.
In 1987 Mike Brennan went on to win the 2A State
Individual Champion for Praire.
It would be another 12 years before someone would
bring a state medal home from the Iowa State Golf Tournament.
In 1999 Shane Carlson finished 6th for Prairie
Valley at the 2A State Golf Tournament.
In 2003 Mark Messerly would advance to the Class
2A State Tournament but come up empty until the next
year tieing for 4th place in the 2004 Class 2A State Golf
Tournament.
The Prairie Valley Boys 2009 Golf Team, which included;
Eli Wellman, Logan Hansch, Nate Schill, Cole
Jaeschke, and Josh Zinnel was the Class 2A State Golf
Tournament participant that year.
Again in 2010, the Prairie Valley boys’ golf team got
the honors of being Class 2A State Golf Participant. The
team included; Alec Holmgaard, Eli Wellman, Nate Schill,
Cole Jaeschke, Dalton Boerner, and Brady Dixon. Cole
Jaeschke was also Iowa State Tournament Runner-Up (in
a 3-way Tie). Mike Conrad coached the team.
In 2011 Nate Schill advanced to the State tournament
and brought home the state runner-up medal shooting a
score of 152.
In 2017 Keegan Goodwin finished 5th at Districts,
and Jaxon Myers finished 6th respectfully. The Jaguars
Head Coach: Shawn Blunk and Assistant Coach: Curt Valentine.
Jaguars earned honors in 2018 for Jaxon Myers Low
Stroke Average Winner of 42.375. Jaxon Myers also qualified
as an individual for Districts with shooting an 86 at
Carroll Country Club.
In 2019 Carter Fluckiger earned the Low Stroke Average
Winner with 47.5.
Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the 2020 Golf season
for the Jaguars was canceled.
Rick Meyer’s Coached the Prairie Boys Golf Team
until Prairie and Cedar Valley Consolidated in 1993. Mike
Conrad, who was Cedar Valley’s Golf coach since 1989,
became Prairie Valley’s coach. Mike remained the boys’
golf coach until he switched in 2017. He then became the
girls’ golf coach. Shawn Blunk became the Southeast Valley
Boys Golf Coach.