Demon golfers take 3rd at Invite

It was a beautiful day to be on the Washington Golf and Country Club course Saturday.

It was even more beautiful for the Pella High School boys golf team, which won the Washington Invite.

Pella had a 314 team score. Pella freshman Will Simpson shot 37-38 for a 75, the low round of the day. Mt. Pleasant had an 81, 83 and two 84s for its 332 team total. Ft. Madison shot 391. The Pella junior varsity posted a 400 score.

Columbus had a 431. Evan Rees led the Wildcats with a 51-49 to total 100. Gustavo Anaya shot 50-56 for a 106. Robert Coil had 56-55 for a 111. Tucker Bright carded a 53-61 to shoot 114.

Washington posted a 351 team score to finish third overall in the six-team tournament.

'Our meet went well,” Washington head coach Collin Stark said. 'This was our first 18-hole meet and we shot our average so far.”

Brock Sobaski led the way with a 76, shooting a 40 and closing with a 36. He was the medalist runner-up.

'Brock did a great job of responding to shooting a 40 to come back with a 36 on the back nine and even had an eagle on Hole No. 8 by hitting a wedge from 90 yards out,” Stark said.

Brady Knutson had a 44-41 for an 85. Caleb Tanner had 45-51 to total 96. Mitchell Driscoll shot 45-49 for a round of 94.

'I was proud of our guys for continuing to think next shot even after having a bad hole,” Stark said. 'We are going to shoot better the next 18-hole meet. The guys will continue to work hard to improve their short game and making the right choices around the course.”

One member of the team is working hard on a number of things and Saturdsay it was golf.

'I feel like I'm hitting my driver and my long-distance irons much better than I thought I would,” Driscoll said. 'It's hard to judge the greens because they were really wet in the morning and as the day goes along, they are drying out. They are changing. Every hole is different, speed of the green and the pin placements are in difficult spots.”

'Mitchell came to me right before we started golf and asked if he would be able to do both golf and track,” Stark said. 'He has been a golfer for three years and wanted to try track.”

Track is the only thing he is trying in the spring.

Driscoll, who is a senior, is on the archery team, the track team, the baseball team and the golf team and excelling at all of it.

'I think part of what made me good in track is going out for football and basketball, that helped me stay in shape,” Driscoll said. 'I guess part of it is just luck, I guess, or maybe natural speed.”

Driscoll had not been out for track since the seventh grade.

'He has been very successful in track as well as helped us in golf this year,” Stark said. 'I am happy that he decided to give both a try. Mitchell does track practice everyday right after school and then he comes out to the golf course around 5 p.m. to play a round or hit on the range. Mitchell is definitely a busy guy.”

Track coach Steve Roth has helped him work on his form.

'Everyone tells me I look silly when I run,” said Driscoll, who has posted the fastest 400-meter time on the team so far this season and the 23rd fastest in the state regardless of class.

It is impossible to look silly when you are winning.

'That's what I tell people that tell me I look silly,” Driscoll said. 'I just tell them that works for me.”