Bode Soukup's round at the Class B-2 District Golf Tournament didn't end ideally Monday afternoon.
“I had to hit the only tree I could to make it interesting,” joked the Blair High School senior.
Coach Ross Udey's No. 1 player was 3-over par on hole Nos. 17-18, but he still tied for 10th overall at River Wilds Golf Club, earning an NSAA State Golf Championships opportunity.
One more stroke and Soukup would have been out of the mix, but, instead, his Class B tourney appearance starts Tuesday at Scotts Bluff Country Club in Scottsbluff.
“I'm looking forward to a challenging course,” the senior qualifier said, explaining how his goal is to place against Class B's best.
Some of the state's best played 18 holes at River Wilds on Monday. While the Bears finished ninth on their home course, Bennington (311 strokes), Elkhorn North (318) and Columbus Lakeview (321) earned team qualifications in first, second and third, respectively.
Coach Dustin Humphrey's Fort Calhoun Pioneers edged BHS in eighth, too, finishing with 397 swings — 16 less than their Washington County neighbors.
It was Soukup, though, who earned the area's top finish. The senior Nebraska football walk-on carded 80 strokes, sinking two shots for birdies.
“The round, as a whole, was good,” he said, noting how he lost a little control late, but didn't let miscues add up.
“We slipped in,” Udey said.
In addition to the senior's 80, Justin Bird finished with the Bears' second-lowest total — 102 swings.
“I was pleased with Justin Bird,” BHS' coach said. “He played a good stretch of holes on the back nine.”
The Bear shot par on hole Nos. 13, 14 and 15.
Aaron Hinman added 113 BHS strokes and Degan Dresden shot an 18-hole 118, too.
While the golf season is done for most of Blair's talent, it continues on for Soukup.
“It's been great,” he said with one tournament left in his first-ever golf season after three years on the track squad.
Soukup said he's golfed with family a lot, but high school was a different experience this spring.
“You have to play by the rules,” he said.
Udey raved about what the Blair senior brought to his team this season.
“He was an awesome influence on the younger kids,” the coach said, noting how Soukup encouraged them to shoot low. “He was great to have around.”
Miller leads FCHS with 88
Considering the circumstances, Coach Humphrey was overall pleased with his FCHS Pioneers' district tournament scores at River Wilds.
The high school golfers shot from the blue tee boxes Monday, which made each of the holes longer.
“We've been practicing from there for a month,” Humphrey said, noting how he expected the move back before it was made official.
Senior Owen Miller led Calhoun during the B-2 tourney, taking 88 swings, which was eight out of a Class B state qualification.
“It was a good day for him,” the Hastings College recruit's high school coach said.
Miller shot par on six holes for the day.
“My tee shots were really good,” he said, noting his chipping, too. It's an aspect of his game he's worked to improve.
“Chipping has been a big focus of mine the past few weeks,” the senior said.
Altogether, Miller finished up his final FCHS round happy with the results he's earned across four years of prep golf. He didn't play the sport much, if at all, before junior high, so he greatly enjoyed picking up the game as he went as a Pioneer.
“It's a great place to start if you haven't,” Miller said.
Fort Calhoun's Adam Elofson added 101 strokes to his team's total, finishing three holes even.
“He improved quite a bit,” Humphrey said of the sophomore.
The Pioneers' Jayden Miller and Beau Ruma added 104 strokes apiece, too. Both players shot par on three holes, while FCHS' Caden Newman shot an 18-hole 113, too.
“I thought we handled the situation well,” Humphrey said, summing up the final date of the Pioneers' 2024 golf season.
CLASS B-2 DISTRICT TOURNAMENT
Monday at River Wilds Golf Club
Team standings (top 3 qualify for state): Bennington 311 strokes, Elkhorn North 318, Columbus Lakeview 321, Elkhorn Mount Michael 330, O'Neill 331, Omaha Concordia 360, Omaha Roncalli 365, Fort Calhoun 397, Blair 413, Wayne 419, Schuyler 440, South Sioux City 482.
Individual state qualifiers: 1, Kale Lamberty, Bennington, 74 strokes. 2, Tyler Nietfeldt, Elkhorn North, 75. 3, Logan Brabec, O'Neill, 75. 4, Kurt Schneider, Columbus Lakeview, 75. 5, Jack Pohlmann, Bennington, 78. 6, Zachary Biegert, Elkhorn North, 78. 7, Ian Scott, Elkhorn Mount Michael, 79. 8, Grayson Vogt, Lakeview, 79. 9, Jack Clements, Bennington, 79. 10 (tie), Bode Soukup, Blair; Andrew Niedfeldt, Elkhorn North; Adam Sucha, Omaha Concordia; Brady Nichols, Bennington, 80.
Blair results: Soukup 80 strokes, Justin Bird 102, Aaron Hinman 113, Degan Dresden 118, Jase Lantry DQ.
Fort Calhoun results: Owen Miller 88 strokes, Adam Elofson 101, Jayden Miller 104, Beau Ruma 104, Caden Newman 113.
