Raven golfers qualify for nationals with sixth place region finish

It was just two springs ago that the Field Kindley High School golf team capped off their second consecutive state championship.  Fast forward two years, and the core players from the high school championship teams have kicked things up a notch.

The Coffeyville Community College golf team led by four FKHS graduates qualified for the NJCAA Division I National Golf Tournament by virtue of their performance April 30 and May 1 at the Region Golf Tournament held at the Wildhorse Golf Course in Gothenburg, Nebraska.

“The golf course was tough,” said Coffeyville Community College Head Coach Bill Williamson.  “The winds were up, the greens were fast, it was really easy to make a double or triple bogey.  They grounded it out for three rounds, kept their patience, kept their poise, and as a result, scored really, really well.”

The Ravens finished tied for sixth at the region tournament to earn a spot at the national golf tournament to be played May 15-18 at the Longbow Golf Course in Mesa, Arizona.

“This tournament was not only for Region 6, it included Region 3 as well.  It brought in a number of really top schools to the tournament,” said Williamson.

The Ravens shot rounds of 315, 320, and 314 for a 54-hole total of 949.

“I am just ecstatic about how well these kids played,” said Williamson.  “They played as consistent of three rounds of any tournament I’ve been with.”

Hutchinson won the regional tournament.  Other KJCCC schools placing at the regional tournament included Johnson County in third and Dodge City in fourth.

 Sophomore Brad Yeubanks led the Ravens with rounds of 76, 78, and 77 for a 54-hole total of 231.

Although pleased with his scores, Yeubanks felt he could have played better.  “I still left a couple of shots out there that could have really mattered,” said Yeubanks.

Sophomore Jaryd McCullough was right behind with rounds of 78, 76, and 79 for a total of 233.

“I was pleased with the way I played,” said McCullough.  “I took a couple of doubles that hurt my scores, but I came back with pars and birdies.”

Sophomore Logan Bustos shot rounds of 77, 82, and 84 for a 243 total and freshman Kyler Brown fired rounds of 85, 84, and 75 for a 244.
 

The national qualifying Red Raven Golf Team.  Pictured left to right are Brad Yeubanks, Jaryd McCullough, Logan Bustos, Kyler Brown and John Stohs.  Yeubanks, McCullough, Bustos and Brown all are graduates of Field Kindley High School in Coffeyville and Stohs is a Wamego, Kansas, native.  Brown, the lone freshman of the five, will be returning next season.

Jaryd McCullough at the Region Tourney.

Brad Yeubanks at the region tournament.

Brown had a tough first day which included the first 18-hole round and the first nine holes of the second round.  Brown came back strong on the second day, though.

“I shot 39 on the back nine of the second round on Tuesday and shot 75 on the third round,” said Brown.  “I took a little off my swing and got into a better tempo.  The greens played softer the second day.  The first day, the greens really tore me up.”

Also competing for the Ravens was Wamego sophomore John Stohs who shot rounds of 84, 86, and 83 for a 54-hole total of 253.

“For the most part I was pleased,” said Stohs.  “I had a couple of screw-ups, but it happens.”

“All five players contributed one or two rounds during the tournament that we needed their scores,” said Williamson.  “The tournament to them they could play with anybody.  We were not that many strokes out of the overall championship.”

Stohs was confident the team would reach nationals after their first round performance at the region tournament.

“After I saw our first round scores and saw where we were sitting, I thought we had a chance,” said Stohs.

Yeubanks, McCullough, Bustos and Brown were all members of Field Kindley High School’s 2004 and 2005 4A State Championship Teams.

“It’s just great to play with the same group of guys in high school and in college,” said Brown.  Bustos echoed those sentiments.

“It’s cool because we get to play together one more time,” said Bustos.  “You never see in college four guys who played together in high school.”

“It’s still fun with all four of us playing together,” said McCullough.

Brown, a freshman who played basketball at Seward County during the fall semester, returned to Coffeyville to play golf at CCC this spring.

“I have verbally committed to play golf here next year,” said Brown who was also considering options in basketball.

The sophomores also have their near-term futures lined out.  Yeubanks will be attending Haskell University in Lawrence next fall and playing golf on their golf team.  Bustos will transfer to the University of Kansas and will major in dentistry.

“I am going to try to walk on with their golf team,” said Bustos.

McCullough will also be attending KU next year and Stohs will be working as an electrician apprentice for about six months before becoming a journeyman.

The golfers will leave May 12 for the national tournament in Mesa, Arizona.  The four-day, 72-hole tournament will begin on May 15 and conclude on May 18.  “It’s run like a professional golf tournament,” said Williamson.

While free time will be scarce in Arizona, the team hopes to catch some of the sites in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

“We are going to try to catch a professional basketball or baseball game and tour the Ping golf equipment plant,” said Williamson.

While none of the Ravens have played the Longbow Golf Course in Mesa, they have heard a few comments about the course.

“I heard it was a long course from a kid who played there last year,” said Yeubanks.  “A lot of bunkers and tough greens.”

“It’s a links course, like the one we played in Nebraska,” said McCullough.  “We should have a chance to play well.”

“I couldn’t be more proud of these kids than I am right now, but more importantly, I think they are very proud of themselves,” said Williamson.