The Spartans, led by a 1-2 finish from seniors Jake Bangasser and Nolan Freeman, posted four of the day’s nine best scores and shot a combined 346 team total to take first place by a cozy 23-stroke cushion.

Bangasser carded an 81 highlighted by a front-nine 39 while Freeman shot a steady 42-40–82 for second place to help the Spartans claim the conference title for the fourth year in a row.

Grundy Center juniors Tanner Appel (91) and Andy Cox (92) placed eighth and ninth, respectively, to close out the all-conference medalwinners, and the Spartans held off BCLUW (369) with little drama.

Lane Stanley led the Comets with a third-place finish after his 89, and Keegan Rhinehart had a 90 to take seventh place. Brad Barkema (94) and Blake Mann (97) rounded out the scoring for BCLUW, which climbed from last year’s fifth-place standing.

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE

AGWSR was third overall with Keon Huffman shooting the fourth-best round for the second year in a row, carding an 89 to share team-best honors with Alex Hames. Tanner Weichers (105) and Riley Sicard (109) rounded it out for the Cougars, who played with just four golfers.

Bronson Wrage led Gladbrook-Reinbeck out of the No. 6 position, shooting a 93 to lead the Rebels and just miss all-conference honors by one stroke.

West Marshall slid to fifth in the final team standings after No. 1 golfer Hunter Pfantz was forced to withdraw due to a wrestling injury. Conley Petermeier led the Trojans with a fourth-place round of 89, followed by Caleb Keigan (97), Jake Vawter (105) and Kaleb Papenberg (114).

East Marshall’s sixth-place finish was led by Brayden Fahrni’s round of 96. Evan Espenscheid contributed a 100 for the Mustangs.

South Hardin, with just two golfers, was paced by Cade Prosser’s 97.

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE

AGWSR, BCLUW and Gladbrook-Reinbeck, along with GMG and North Tama, reconvene in Grundy Center with the host Spartans for Friday’s Class 1A sectional meet at Town & Country Golf Club. East Marshall, South Hardin and West Marshall, as well as Colo-NESCO/Collins-Maxwell, compete at a 2A sectional meet at Legend Trail Golf Club in Parkersburg.

NICL West Division Meet

BOYS

At Grundy Center

Town & Country Golf Club, par 36

Team Standings — 1. Grundy Center 346, 2. BCLUW 369, 3. AGWSR 392, 4. Gladbrook-Reinbeck 398, 5. West Marshall 405, 6. East Marshall 421.

Individual (top 9) — 1. Jake Bangasser, GC, 81; 2. Nolan Freeman, GC, 82; 3. Lane Stanley, BCLUW, 89; 4. (tie) Keon Huffman, AGWSR, 89; Alex Hames, AGWSR, 89; Conley Petermeier, WM, 89; 7. Keegan Rhinehart, BCLUW, 90; 8. Tanner Appel, GC, 91; 9. Andy Cox, GC, 92.

GRUNDY CENTER (346) — Bangasser 81, Freeman 82, Appel 91, Cox 92, Matthew Sternhagen 94, Travis Kuester 97.

BCLUW (369) — Stanley 88, Rhinehart 90, Brad Barkema 94, Blake Mann 97, Calob Keller 98, Jonny Neff 99.

AGWSR (392) — Huffman 89, Hames 89, Tanner Weichers 105, Riley Sicard 109.

GLADBROOK-REINBECK (398) — Bronson Wrage 93, Walker Thede 100, Tyson Creswell 100, Matt Johannsen 105, Mason Skovgard 109, Kyle Koppen 122.

WEST MARSHALL (405) — Petermeier 89, Caleb Keigan 97, Jake Vawter 105, Kaleb Papenberg 114, Alec Benbow DQ, Hunter Pfantz WD.

EAST MARSHALL (421) — Brayden Fahrni 96, Evan Espenscheid 100, Eric Ommen 107, Peyton Harvey 118, Ethan Espenscheid 123, Jason Johnston DQ.

SOUTH HARDIN — Cade Prosser 97, Dalton Lake 108.