PARSONS — Iola Middle School’s golf team did something that may have not been done for over 20 years. It won the Southeast Kansas League junior high golf championship Thursday.
In 1989, the Iola Junior High’s golf team won the SEK title going undefeated. That was when ninth- and eighth-grade players competed and the Ponies were led by Jon May, who went undefeated individually that year. May went on to play for Iola High in 1989 and took third in the Kansas Class 4A state tournament.
The current Ponies team is led by a crop of seventh-grade players. The Ponies won the Parsons Middle School Invitational by 16 strokes.
Iola posted a four-man score of 179 for the nine-holes. Columbus was second with 195 followed by Independence with 202 and Chanute with 205.
“We played very well even with the wind,” said Dennis Nevin, IMS golf coach. “The Katy Course may well be the hardest course we played this year then add 45-plus MPH winds.”
Seventh-grader Kaden Macha shot a 39, which was three over par for the Parsons’ course, to take top medalist. Macha has led the Ponies all season. His best score of the year was a 32 at Pittsburg, which could be an IMS record for a nine-hole tournament.
Shane Walden carded a 45 and Matt Jacobs had a 46 to claim the seventh- and eighth-place medals. Both are seventh graders.
Weston Hines, the lone eighth grader on the team, shot 49. Adam Peterson had a 54 and Isaiah Grover shot a 57.
The Ponies will finish up the IMS Invitational, halted by rain April 7, on Monday. Play begins at 1 p.m. at Cedarbrook Golf Course.
IMS golf team captures SEK League championship
