Effingham Boys Win Apollo Conference Golf Tournament

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Published on October 5 2013 10:20 am
Last Updated on October 5 2013 10:25 am
Written by Greg Sapp

(THE EFFINGHAM HEARTS BOYS GOLF CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS)

The Effingham High School boys golf team captured the championship of the Apollo Conference Tournament Friday, winning the title by seven strokes for the school's first boys golf championship in 25 years.

Effingham posted a 316 team total on the course in Paris, besting Mattoon who had a 323 team total.  Salem was third with 337 strokes, Charleston fourth at 337, Mt. Zion fifth at 338 and Paris sixth with a 370 total.

Junior Jake Linders posted a 74 to win medalist honors.  Junior Jackson Wendling shot a 76, freshman Callaway Smith an 80 and junior Sean Sandifer an 85.  Sophomore Reed Schafer added a 94 and junior Brandon Dahnke shot a 98.

Hearts' Coach Jeff Schafer said, "The kids were awesome today.  The team that was going to fight the hardest and grind today was going to win.  We hung in there and battled all day.  Jake Linders was awesome shooting 74 to win the tournament; last year Jackson (Wendling) won.  Jackson overcame a tough start and played the last 16 holes one under par.  Jackson and Jake made all-conference.  Callaway just missed all-conference by one shot and played steady all day.  Sean gave us that fourth score we needed shooting a solid 85 for us.  There were five teams that could win today and we are very fortunate to win today.  Congrats to these six kids, and I hope we can carry this momentum into next week (when regionals begin)."

This was Effingham's first conference championship since 1987.

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Effingham's girls squad finished third in the conference tournament, but only six shots off the winning total.

Salem won the girls' team title with a 396 total.  Mattoon finished with 398 strokes and Effingham was third with a 402 total.  Mt. Zion with a 416 score was fourth and Charleston finished fifth with a 417 total.

Junior Morgan Wilson led Effingham with an 86, including a 40 on the back.  Hope Collier shot a 98, Alex Brummer had a 102, and Madison Weis shot a 116 as Effingham's fourth counter.  Kaylee Tonn had a 118.

Wilson and Collier made all-conference.