The Westside boys golf team finished as the runner-up in the Metro Conference golf tournament at Benson Park on Wed. May 11. The Warriors finished with a score of 303, seven points behind the team champion Creighton Prep.

Westside head coach Brett Froendt watched his team battle strong winds all day.

“We didn’t play our best golf today,” Froendt said. “ We were down 3 strokes on the turn, and Prep gained 4 more on the back. Hey, just played more consistent golf as the wind kicked up and we just didn’t handle conditions that well.”

Westside’s Jackson Benge tied for the best round of the day, after he shot a 71. The sophomore lost in a two-hole playoff to Creighton Prep’s Luke Strako to finish in 2nd place.

“I’d say I started off pretty good,” Benge said. “ I birdied the second hole and then had a bogey on the third hole. It was kind of slow after that, I couldn’t get a lot going, I got a bogey  on 10, But after I got through that, I played pretty well. I birdied 11, 12, 15, 17, and 18. So, I had a pretty good stretch coming in. I made a pretty good putt on 18, to send us to a playoff, but unfortunately we lost in the playoff.”

Benge is playing his best golf of the spring season. Coach Froendt has been impressed with the sophomore’s performance.

“I can’t say enough, “ Froendt said. “What a great performance for a sophomore. He was never more than one-over, he was never more than one-under. He just was real consistent all the way around. That’s just him, that’s how he plays.”

Nine golfers from Westside high school have won the individual Metro Championship. Benge hopes to join the long list of champs in the future.

“Obviously, I wanted to win,” Benge said. “Getting my name up in the school and stuff would have been huge, but I still have a few more years to do it. I’m still happy with the second place. I like the momentum heading into the end of the season.”

Westside will play in the Class A-1 District tournament on Monday, May 16, at the Fair Play golf course in Norfolk. It will be a new experience for the Warriors.

“None of us have ever played the course before,” Benge said. “We’ve never heard of it before, but from what we’ve heard we heard it’s pretty easy. I like the way we’re playing right now so I think we got it, and got a pretty good shot at winning.”

Westside is ready to make a run at the school’s sixth state golf championship. Coach Froendt believes it all starts with the District tournament.

“I wish we had a little more of a solid performance, but we’ve got a good team,” Froendt said. “We’ve performed well all year long, so we expect to do well in districts. We’re certainly going to state with that momentum.”

After the District tournament, the Warriors will return to Norfolk for the Class A State Championship at the Norfolk Country Club on May 24-25.