The Spartan senior shot a career-best 37 to share medalist honors with Judd Jirovsky and Preston Martens as the Grundy Center boys comfortably won a triangular with Dike-New Hartford and Union at Town & Country Golf Club on Tuesday evening.

Grundy shot a 150 with five golfers shooting under 40. Union was 2nd at 169, D-NH third at 174.

The meet served as senior night for both the boys and girls squads — the Spartan girls turned in a 188 team score as runners-up, eight strokes behind Dike-New Hartford/Aplington-Parkersburg.

Dirks birdied the par-5 No. 2, balanced with bogeys on Nos. 6 and 8.

T-R PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER - Grundy Center’s Leah Larson follows through on her tee shot on the eighth hole at Town & Country Golf Club during Tuesday’s triangular meet in Grundy Center. Larson led the Spartan girls with a round of 45.

“I feel like I just keep improving my game,” Dirks said. “I feel good about it. My irons have had a lot of growth and that’s been the biggest factor in me having a 37 today. I hit all but two greens today and got up-and-down, so it was a good day.”

Following the trio of 37s was a pair of 39s for Jalen Kirkpatrick and Jaxon Kiewiet; Alex Kiewiet contributed a 43 and Britt Meyer, making his varsity debut in place of sophomore Eli Wegmann, shot a 48.

While the meet was interrupted for 40 minutes by lightning in the vicinity, teams on Tuesday enjoyed a relatively calm afternoon on the course compared to the wind-swept spring thus far.

And for the Spartan boys, it resulted in one of their best rounds ever at Town & Country, and an impressive showing for a team missing one varsity regular in Wegmann and coming off a state title in 2023.

“We have so much depth this year,” Dirks said. “I’ve just been astounded by our team.”

Dirks was honored alongside Tate Jirovsky, a dual-sport athlete that traveled with Grundy’s track team to a meet at Sumner-Fredericksburg – that was eventually canceled – on Tuesday, and Ryan Traeger, a JV golfer.

“Ryan never saw a varsity meet but he enjoyed the game and loved being with the kids each night after school, and I give him credit for sticking with it,” Grundy Center head coach Dennis Dirks said. “Both Tate and Judd are dual-sport athletes, and Tate’s primary track is sport. Both of them are very talented athletes at any sport they jump into.

“Sullivan, he’s been all in for four years and has been a great mentor for the younger kids on the team. He works hard on his game and has really developed from his freshman year. I can’t say enough good things about him, it was a nice way for him to finish his senior year at home.”

The Spartan girls also celebrated two seniors who have seen immense growth in their golf game in Belle Ruth and Ashlyn Kuiper.

Ruth tied for the Spartans’ fourth score with Avery Knutsen at 50 strokes and Kuiper shot a 53. Leah Larsen was third overall to lead the Spartans with a 45 and Holly Lubbert shot a 46; Kahlynn Draper was the third scorer at 47.

“If you had seen these girls when they started in the program to now, not just where their game is at, but the ladies they’ve become, you would be as amazed as I am,” Grundy Center head coach Heather Gutknecht said. “I couldn’t be more proud of what they’ve given to our program and also how they’ve grown.”

The Spartans beat D-NH/A-P in Parkersburg by a single stroke last week, only for the foes to the north to avenge that loss on Grundy’s home course on Tuesday.

Maryn Bixby was medalist for D-NH/A-P with a 43; D-NH/A-P’s Keely Kauten was runner-up with a 44.

The teams will meet again on Friday at Grundy Center’s Schupbach Classic back at Town & Country and then again as two teams in the North Iowa Cedar League Super Meet at Irv Warren Memorial Golf Course on Monday, May 6.

“They bring quality golf and our girls really enjoy playing against those quality golfers and competing,” Gutknecht said.

The boys NICL Super Meet is scheduled for Thursday, weather permitting, at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course in Cedar Falls. The Spartans were fourth at that meet and then went on to win the Class 2A state title just weeks later.

“We got hot at the right time last year,” Dirks said. “We’re looking forward to what awaits us on Thursday, there’s some really solid teams out there.”

Grundy Center Triangular

At Grundy Center

Town & Country Golf Course, par 36

GIRLS

Team Standings — 1. Dike-New Hartford/Aplington-Parkersburg 181; 2. Grundy Center 188; 3. Union Community 223.

Medalist — Maryn Bixby, D-NH/A-P, 43. Runner-Up — Keely Kauten, D-NH/A-P, 44.

D-NH/A-P (181) — Bixby 43, Kauten 44, Seeri Smith 46, Jadyn Petersen 48, Kendall Riherd 48, Kaibree Nisius 62.

GRUNDY CENTER (188) — Leah Larson 45, Holly Lubbert 46, Kahlynn Draper 47, Avery Knutsen 50, Belle Ruth 50, Ashlyn Kuiper 53.

UNION COMMUNITY (223) — Ava Mehlert 51, Lydia Albertsen 51, Amelia Schmitz 55, Hannah Williams 66.

——

BOYS

Team Standings — 1. Grundy Center 150; 2. Union Community 169; 3. Dike-New Hartford 174.

Medalists — Judd Jirovsky, Grundy Center; Preston Martens, Grundy Center; Sullivan Dirks, Grundy Center, 37.

GRUNDY CENTER (150) — Jirovsky 37, Martens 37, Dirks 37, Jalen Kirkpatrick 39, Jaxon Kiewiet 39, Alex Kiewiet 43, Britt Meyer 48, Caleb Knutsen 52.

UNION COMMUNITY (169) — Tyler Gates 39, Sam Fehl 42, Brock Bergmeier 42, Coy Mehlert 46, Brandon Frush 49, Miles Eikamp 55.

DIKE-NEW HARTFORD (174) — Carson Costello 40, Jacob Wood 43, Lewis Textor 45, Jaxon Wauters 46, Zach Adelmund 49, Trey Haak 50.

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