By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
It took a clutch effort and some hand wringing, but the Seaman Vikings rode a team effort to qualify as a team for the Class 5A state boys golf tournament next week at Emporia.
Seaman's boys golf team earned the final team berth for next week's Class 5A state tournament in Emporia. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
With the team’s fate in question, Seaman senior Bradley Williamson came down to the last hole believing he needed a par to qualify for state as an individual. With a crowd watching the final group come in, Williamson drew a long putt to within three feet of the hole, then drained it for a par.
When the final scores were entered, a tie with Basehor-Linwood became apparent. Williamson’s par had been crucial for the entire team.
“Going into 18, my coach mentioned that he thought the (individual) cut line was going to be in the 84, 85 range,” said Williamson, who finished with an 83. “He didn’t know how the rest of the team was doing. He didn’t let me know that. I just knew I had to get a good score to give myself a chance. I felt a lot of relief draining it. There was a lot of pressure standing over it because we had a gallery.”
The tie with Basehor-Linwood was broken by the score of the fifth man of each team. Seaman’s Alex Flanagan had carded an 88 while the Bobcats’ fifth man recorded a 92.
“It’s a lot more fun to take the whole group down,” Seaman coach Rick Rineberg said. “Over the past few weeks, we’ve played our best golf and it really came out today in a big way. They are a tight-knit group. So, it makes it all the more fun to be able to take everybody down with us.”
Leading the Vikings with an 82 was sophomore Evan Michalski. He will be making his first trip to state.
It’s really exciting,” Michalski said. “I started off kind of rough through the first couple of tournaments. I’m just happy I’m starting to go on the scoring for the team.
“I think today my head was in the game. There were mistakes I definitely made, but I think I can get a lot better if I stop making those mistakes that I know I can fix.”
Rineberg was quick to praise assistant coach Jeff Schuh for his contribution to the team’s success.
“Four out of the six kids on this year’s state-qualifying team either spent all last year on the JV or part of the year on JV,” Rineberg said. “So, Coach Schuh deserves a huge shoutout for the development of our quote-unquote “farm system” to get those kids ready for when they meet the challenges like today.
Joining the Vikings at state will be Shawnee Heights’ Ayden Valdivia, who makes his second trip to state. The T-Bird junior hopes the fates are kinder this year than they were last.
Valdivia was in Newton, site of last year’s 5A state meet, the night before the event when the town was hit by a tornado. A gust of wind lifted Valdivia off his feet and threw him roughly to the ground. He was treated in the local emergency room, which was operating without electricity.
Valdivia took the course the next day with a severe abrasion on his right hip.
“I wound up playing pretty well,” Valdivia recalled. “I birdied like six holes, but I just had to tough it out. I hope I can just show how much I’ve improved and shoot better than I did with the injury.”
Valdivia is carrying on the family legacy. His brother Justice won Class 4A state playing for Hayden in 2011. Brother Alex took sixth at 5A state for Shawnee Heights in 2023. His sister Lauryn, a Shawnee Heights sophomore, has already made two trips to state.
“It’s just an everyday thing,” Valdivia said. “We go out and play tournaments with my family. It’s been part of our family for as long as I can remember.”
The Class 3A Regional meet was held at Lake Shawnee simultaneous to the 5A event. Silver Lake served as host but failed to qualify as a team or to send any individuals to the state meet. Coach Johnny Roberts reflected on the improvement he saw in the team during the season.
"I would say it was a season of growth and development,” Roberts said. “We had a lot of guys who hadn’t had varsity experience, and they needed to get that experience, to know what it feels like. So, we had some peaks and valleys. We’ve got some young guys that we’re trying to develop, so next year looks better.”
CLASS 5A REGIONAL
At Lake Shawnee Golf Course
Team scores
Emporia +28, De Soto +36, Seaman +55, Basehor-Linwood +55, Shawnee Heights +66, Piper +68, Lansing +72
Individual results
1. Sauder, Emporia, 73; 2. Ward, Leavenworth, 74; 3. Spurlock, De Soto, 75; 4. (tie) Jacob, Emporia, 78; 4. (tie) Walker, Emporia, 78; 6. Johnson, Emporia, 79; 7. (tie) Lininger, De Soto, 80; 7. (tie) Edwards, Lansing, 80; 7. (tie) Burnett, Basehor-Linwood, 80; 7. (tie) Krehbiel, De Soto, 80.
Seaman – Michalski 82, Williamson 83, Burghart 85, Hill 85, Flanagan 88, Perry 96.
Shawnee Heights – Valdivia 81, Hahn 85, Hohman 89, Jones 91, Shove 96, Freeman 104.
Topeka West – Schultz 85, Putthoff 91.
CLASS 3A REGIONAL
At Lake Shawnee Golf Course
Team scores
Marysville +39, Sabetha +43, Jefferson West +58, Seneca +62, Perry-Lecompton +70, St. Marys +70, Silver Lake +82, Royal Valley +86, Hiawatha +110
Individual results
1. Rader, Marysville, 72; 2. Scoby, Sabetha 74; 3. Gallegos, St. Marys, 75; 4. Sedlaeck, Marysville, 77; 5. (tie) Moore, Sabetha, 78; 5. (tie) Thomas 78; 7. (tie) Moser, Jefferson West, 79; 7. (tie) Carlsen, Perry-Lecompton, 79; 9. (tie) Tolbert, Perry-Lecompton, 81; 9. (tie) Sandmann, Marysville, 81; 9. (tie) Bausch, Royal Valley, 81.
Silver Lake – Kelly 83, Streit 91, Bergman 93, Whitehead 95, Atkins 95, Adee 97.
