Marion heads back to Iowa high school boys’ state golf tournament for first time in 18 years

MARION – The last time Marion’s boys’ golf team qualified for state the school had a different moniker, Tiger Woods became the youngest player with 50 PGA Tour wins and only four “Fast and Furious” movies had been released.

Most of the current players weren’t even born, yet.

“Obviously, it’s been a while for the program,” Wolves senior Lawson Berndt said. “I think I’m the only one on the team born when they made it. I’m 18. I was born before in November.”

Marion has produced one of its most successful seasons, capping the spring with a trip to the Class 3A state tournament, beginning Monday at Veenker Memorial Golf Course in Ames. The Wolves earned a berth with a runner-up district finish, setting a school record with a 292 team total.

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“It’s great,” Marion senior Josh Noll said. “It’s a tough thing to get to. To be one of the teams there, it’s a big deal. We’re super happy with the work we’ve put in and the accomplishment we were able to get.”

Berndt and Noll were sophomores when Marion reached the district tournament and missed state by a stroke. They were driven by taking that extra step. The duo devoted a lot of time to playing in the offseason.

Sophomores Calvin Andresen and Asher Castenson returned, giving them four of the top six scorers from a year ago. Freshman Grady Oleson emerged as the team’s No. 3 golfer. Sophomore Jackson Rinderknecht has rounded out the lineup.

“I think this whole year we knew we were one of the better teams in the state,” Noll said. “It just took one round for us to click and we’re clicking at the right time now.”

The potential was apparent, leading to early-season talks of this being the Wolves’ year.

“Looking at the year prior to the season, we sort of made goals that we are going to push ourselves,” said Marion Coach Dave Messerli, who praised the work of assistants Jeff Berndt and Pete Messerli. “We’re not going to pretend that state doesn’t exist. We’re going to say we have to be as good as anybody.”

Interestingly, the golfers have gelled, despite coming from different grades and levels. From freshmen to seniors, and even a home-schooled athlete, the Wolves find common ground on the links. They are bonded through golf and maybe the post-round Jimmy John’s meal or trip to Pizza Ranch – Messerli’s favorite, according to Noll.

“When it comes down to things, we love playing golf with each other,” Noll said. “it doesn’t matter the age or place we’re coming from. We all love golf and love playing and talking golf, working on our swings and doing all of that together.”

Berndt and Noll started playing as freshmen and have pushed each other to be their best. They have worked together to unify the team and embrace leadership roles. Berndt and Noll complement each other, helping the Wolves succeed.

“It’s a cool dynamic,” Berndt said. “Josh is more of a vocal leader and a kid that makes them all laugh. They all love Josh. I’m more of a lead by example. If you have a question, go ahead and ask it. It works well as a team. I think the younger kids get the best of both worlds.”

Berndt has led the Wolves with a 75 18-hole average and 39.21 combined adjusted average. Noll is close at 75.78 and 39.66. They have a good-natured rivalry on the course, attempting to outplay one another.

“I want to beat him more than anything,” said Berndt, who described his season as solid and that he is overall happy with how he’s hit the ball and competed. “It benefits our team but we’re also two of the most competitive people with each other that you will meet.”

The Wolves won five tournaments throughout the season, opening the postseason with the 3A sectional team title and surpassing Wamac Conference foes Solon and West Delaware, which had placed ahead of the Wolves in regular-season meets.

Confidence continued to swell as the district meet approached. Marion saved its best performance for when it needed it most. All six shot 80 or better with five breaking into the 70s. Andresen led the way with a 71, one stroke in front of Noll. Berndt carded a 74 with Oleson coming in at 75.

Noll was optimistic after learning of Andresen’s score, assuming Berndt shot well and knowing his result. He avoided celebrating until the final score was posted.

“We all finished strong, which is huge at a golf tournament,” Noll said. “I didn’t know we were going to finish that well. I knew we were playing good.”

Berndt was in one of the final groups to reach the clubhouse. He heard rumblings of teammates’ scores and had a good idea the Wolves played well enough but didn’t know they beat the program record by seven strokes.

“We talked about how this was the most capable team we had to shoot a scoring record,” Berndt said. "We just hadn’t put together four of our best scores to get to that sub-300 number. For us to go eight shots below 300, it was awesome.”

The postseason has been a prime example of the progress the entire spring.

“We were building,” Messerli said. “We didn’t have any hiccups during the year. Yes, some kids said they didn’t shoot as well as they wanted. As a team, we just kept getting better and the kids kept growing in confidence. Overall, it’s been real positive.”

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Messerli addressed the team in the Gardner Golf Course clubhouse before practice. They were locked in as Messerli stressed the hardest part is qualifying. Now, they can relax and just focus on playing. The Wolves won’t be satisfied with just being in the field either, especially since it is the final competition for Berndt and Noll.

“I think we’re going down with as much confidence as we can,” Noll said. “I have two rounds left in my high school career. I’m trying to go out on a high note.”

Veenker is a challenging course and one of the toughest setups for high school events. Marion hasn’t played Veenker outside of practice rounds, preparing for state. The finish will add to a memorable season.

“We’re just going to go play,” Messerli said. “We’re really looking forward to it. Regardless of how we finish, we’ve had some of the biggest accomplishments in our program. That’s what has been the fun part.”

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