High expectations add to Cougars tradition

The aspirations of some golf programs are the the expectations at Cedar Rapids Kennedy.

The Cougars have set themselves apart from the rest in recent years, hoarding team titles while building a strong tradition.

While some teams and golfers are happy with making the field for the Iowa High School athletic Association Class 4A state meet meet Friday at Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City, the Cougars have their sights set on claiming a state team title. Play for the first of two rounds begins Friday at noon with the second round Saturday at 9 a.m.

Kennedy is making its fifth straight appearance, placing in the top-four the last three seasons. The Cougars were second a year ago with three individuals in the top-12. Is anything less that a title a disappointment.

"It's close to that," Kennedy junior Harrison Moore said. "We go down there to win and if we don't it's good for the team that played better. They deserved it, but we want to win."

Winning has become the norm for the Cougars. They captured a district title Tuesday at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course, edging host Cedar Falls by one stroke. The banner goes well with their Mississippi Valley Conference super Meet crown, CRANDIC meet title and fifth-straight MVC divisional title. Each achievement is as special as the first.

"It never gets old winning districts," Kennedy Coach Mark Wilden said. "It never gets old to win conference. It never gets old to win CRANDIC. It never gets old.

"I think our kids expect that is going to happen and that really helps me as a coach."

The state meet is something the Cougars have yet to tame. After strong finishes the last four years, Kennedy is still in search of its first team title since 1990. Dane Worley's runner-up finish in 2010 tied Mark Hanson's 1990 performance as the school's best. It's the one thing left to accomplish.

"I know, as a team, that's one of our goals every year," Wilden said. "We've been successful in those other things, but winning state we've always been close. We haven't done it."

The field includes top-ranked Ankeny, West Des Moines Valley and Dowling, ranked second and third, and No. 4 Ames. Kennedy enters the meet with an 80-5 record. The Cougars have a talent and deep group led by seniors Cody Bell and Brigham Stewart. Bell was fourth at the state meet last year, while Stewart tied for 12th. Bell, the district medalist Tuesday, averages about 37 strokes per nine holes, less than a stroke ahead of Stewart. Mitch Martin and Moore average about 38.5. Jake Wilding and Tyler Kalina round out the line up, averaging around 39 and 40, respectively.

"We expect a lot of ourselves," Bell said. "We put in the work in the offseason and during the season so we expect to come out and be able to post good rounds. It's great to see it come in and really pay off."

The old adage that iron sharpens iron seems out of place for golf, but the Cougars push each other in outside of competition. They often battle in closest to the pin and up-and-down contests to improve their short games. It can get heated, but Bell said it is "pretty even" with the winner usually providing some good-natured smack talk.

"We all know we have to keep working in practice," Bell said. "it does help that we're all so competitive because we can compete in practices and really work to make our game better."

A program with so much success can be a double-edged sword. High standards are tough to match, but it provides belief they can always contend for a title. Even in the season's biggest meet.

"There's a little bit of pressure," Moore said. "It also adds a lot of confidence to us to play that good."

 Wilden wasn't sure if this would be the year to capture a state title. He did say this team as just as good of a shot as they have had each of the last three years.

"We have as good of a chance this year as we did last year and we finished second," Wilden said. "We have just as good of a chance this year than we had the year before that and we were fourth. We have as good of a chance as we did three years ago and we finished third.

"That's the thing. You don't know. I think that we have a good chance."

 Iowa City High will also returns to the state meet. The Little Hawks are making their second straight state meet appearance after a second-place district finish Tuesday at Glynn's Creek Golf Course in Eldridge. City High was 11th last year.

Linn-Mar earned a state berth for the second time in the last three seasons. The Lions were third at the Cedar Falls district, led by seniors Tyler McCann, who was the individual runner-up, and Trevor Berry. Linn-Mar placed sixth in 2009.

Cedar rapids Xavier's J.P. King advanced in the individual field. King tied for fourth in Cedar Falls to qualifying. He became the Saints' first boys golfer to reach state since Matt Sargent and Henry Lammers in 2006. Sargent placed 20th that year.