DECORAH — They didn’t worry about getting all wrapped up into the hype that is competing in the class 3A state tournament, instead the Anamosa boys golf team went out and enjoyed what has been an amazing ride through the 2006 spring season culminating in a third-straight state berth.

“That was the exact approach we took,” said Raider boys golf coach Brad Mangler as his team finished a sensational third overall in the two-day tournament played at the Oneota Golf and Country Club in Decorah Friday, May, 26 and Saturday, May 27. “We didn’t get all hyped up and put any extra pressure on ourselves to win. We enjoyed this state experience. Every second of it. I was very proud of the way our guys went out and competed. We proved we belong among the elite golf teams in the state with the way we played.”

Clear Lake came in as the overwhelming favorite to win their third straight class 3A boys state golf team championship and the Lions didn’t disappoint winning the title by a whopping 19 shots over runner-up Pella.

Anamosa topped perennial powerhouse programs from Mount Pleasant (649), West Delaware (652), Marion (655), Atlantic (657), Glenwood (657), Spirit Lake (660), Dallas Center-Grimes (663) and Knoxville (664) at the tournament.

“I was a little nervous coming into the tournament but once I got those first few holes out of the way that first day, I settled down,” said Anamosa senior Shawn Parmenter who led the Raider boys with 149 (76-73) and claimed second-team all-state honors with the score. “On Friday I was one-under going into the back nine then had a couple of bad holes. I was much happier with the way I played Saturday.”

Parmenter was sensational all tournament long opening with his 76 (35-41) then followed with a blistering one-over par 73 (37-36) to lead the Anamosa boys home with their third-place finish overall.

“We just enjoyed being there at the state tournament and to finish third was a great way to close the year and my high school golf career out,” said Parmenter. “State is the biggest meet of the year and I wanted to bring my best. For the most part, I thought I did that.”

Parmenter’s finish in Decorah ranks as one of the best ever for an Anamosa golfer at a state tournament.

“This senior group as a whole really accomplished a lot the last four years and they should go down as one of the best golf classes to come through this school ever,” said Mangler of Shawn Parmenter, Drew Corpstein, Dillon Eggers and Derek Hart. “Making it to the state tournament three times in a row is something that has happened only one other time in school history so these seniors have a lot to look back at and be very proud of.”

The last time an Anamosa boys golf team qualified for three straight state golf tournaments was back in 1977, 1978 and 1979.

“I think what made this state experience even more enjoyable was the fact there was no looking back and wondering what if,” said Mangler. “We finished as high as we were going to finish and everyone was pretty happy with that. We did the best we could do.”

Corpstein stepped up to the challenge at the state meet as well firing the second-best score for the Raiders tallying an opening round 82 (43-39) before following with an 84 (42-42) on Saturday finishing with a 166.

“Drew really exploded this year and developed into a very nice golfer for us,” said Mangler. “He showed that again here too at the biggest tournament of his career. He always seemed to take his game up a notch right when we needed it the most.”

It was that kind of consistent scoring that led the Anamosa boys all spring.

“I was happy with the way I played but I still felt I could have done better at state,” said Corpstein. “I had a couple of really bad holes, but when I look back on it, this was a fun experience.”

Dillon Eggers and Colten Kelly turned in the final two counting cards with two-day totals of 167 each.

Eggers opened with an 85 (43-42) Friday but took three strokes off his game Saturday firing an 82 (42-39).

“Dillon brought his consistent game to the state meet like he has done all season long,” said Mangler. “He’s had the experience and his level-headed play was a key factor in what we were able to do in Decorah.”

Kelly, making his first-ever state appearance, opened with an 86 (45-41) Friday but finished his tournament shooting sensational golf with an 81 (40-41) to count for the Raiders.

“You have to love Colten because the kid just seems to be able to do everything and do it well,” said Mangler of his star sophomore who also was one of the top class 3A high jumpers in the state finishing second at state just two weeks ago in Drake Stadium in Des Moines. “For him to juggle two sports and to perform at such a high level in both says a lot about his ability I can’t help but wonder what he might have been able to shoot if he had just concentrated on golf, but when he’s one of the best high jumpers in the state you can’t fault him for wanting to win a state title in that too. And he almost did it.”

Hart struggled golfing his first nine holes in Decorah shooting a front nine 47 but settled in with an overall 88 Friday after trimming six shots on his final nine holes firing a 41.

“I think sometimes Derek just puts too much pressure on himself to play well,” said Mangler. “I think once he got that out of his head, he was his normal self and contributed to this team.”

Hart fired a two-day total of 171 carding an 83 (43-40) on Saturday.

“I didn’t bring my A-game to state, or at least at the start of the tournament I didn’t,” said Hart who is one of the rare Raider golfers in school history to have appeared in three straight state tournaments. “I was happy with the way I finished up Saturday though playing the last four holes two-under.”

Hart was also happy with his team’s third-place state finish.

“We went from eighth to sixth to third at the three state meets, I think that’s pretty good,” he said. “That first year no one expected too much from us then last year we expected a lot and came up short. This year we just wanted to come in and have some fun and enjoy the whole experience. I think we did that. I know I had fun.”

Freshman Tyler Parmenter, also a first-time state performer, excelled in the pressure conditions in Decorah.

“I’m very happy with the way Tyler stepped it up at state,” said Mangler after Parmenter tallied a two-day total of 174. “He lowered his score the second day and just handled himself very well all tournament long.”

Tyler Parmenter shot an 89 (45-44) on Friday and answered with an 85 (44-41) Saturday.

Decorah senior Cody Schweinefus led all golfers at the 3A tourney using the home course to his advantage winning the individual state title firing a four-under par 140 (71-69) to take the title by two shots over Clear Lake sophomore Zach Monson (71-71) who carded a two-under 142.
Algona sophomore Josh Manske was third with a 146 (74-72).

Saturday also saw a rare hole-in-one as Clear Lake senior Quincy Law, the Lions’ No. 6 golfer, aced a long 225-yard par-3 in recording a 74 after an opening-round 89 Friday.

“Next year might be a rebuilding one for us,” said Mangler. “We lose four very talented seniors who have left some very large shoes to fill. We’ll just have to see who is going to step up.
Whatever the case, I know we’ll have fun.”

ANAMOSA — After a subpar first half played by his Anamosa girls soccer team hosting Mid-Prairie Monday, May 22, coach Jim Conklin had seen enough.

“The girls just didn’t seem motivated and looked like they didn’t even want to be playing soccer against a team we should have and could have beaten,” he said after his club was handed a 6-4 setback. “I had to start yelling to get their attention and I also had so make it perfectly clear that if they weren’t going to go after the ball, I was going to find players who would. I didn’t care if we were going to have to play 11-on-9, we were going to start hustling or grab a seat on the sideline.”

The Anamosa (1-11-2) girls got Conklin’s message loud and clear and played a much stronger second half even in succumbing to the narrow two-goal defeat.