Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s impressive start continues at stacked Warrior Invitational

AMANA – Brock Barnhart shared one of Cedar Rapids Kennedy's goals for this season.

After missing the state meet by four strokes last season, the Cougars are focused on qualifying with aspirations of a top-three finish. If Thursday was any indication, they are right on course.

Kennedy shot 312 as a team, earning runner-up honors at Cedar Rapids Washington's Warrior Invitational at Amana Colonies Golf Club. The Cougars finished three shots back of team champion Indianola in the 16-team field that included the top six teams and seven total from last year's state meet.

'Our team has played very consistent in all four meets,” said Barnhart, who led the way with 75. 'Three people have shot in the 70s and just one person with low-80s. That has been really good for us.”

The Cougars have been extremely steady, firing 311 to tie for third at the Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet at Ellis Park and 312 to win the Linn-Mar Invitational on Monday at Gardner Golf Course.

'They've played really well,” Kennedy Coach Mike Green said. 'It's nice to see. Last year, they kind of took their lumps.”

Kennedy is still young. Barnhart is one of two sophomores in the starting lineup. Foreign-exchange student Conrado Chazos-Martinez is a junior, despite being closer to the sophomores in age, according to Green.

The Cougars have three seniors, including state qualifier Jonah Beman and Luke Martin, who shot 78 and 81, respectively. They learned from last year's experience and put in work on their own to improve.

'I think it's a lot more practice in the offseason,” Barnhart said. 'People have been going out to the golf course more and practicing on their own time, instead of just with the team.”

Chazos-Martinez matched Beman with a 78, giving Kennedy four scores within six shots of each other. The Cougars have balance among their top four. The competition is motivation to continuously get better.

'If you don't have anybody below or above you, trying to push you and make you better, you just stay where you're at. You don't really improve,” Green said. 'Now, we have a couple things we can work on in practice.

'This year in practice we do a lot more stuff where we're competing against each other. Hopefully, that helps improve us, especially mentally. Golf is such a mental game. We have to make sure guys can stay focused.”

Barnhart finished in a four-way tie for third and placed fifth after the tiebreakers. He finished three shots back of Indianola teammates Jake Mervelli and Ben Krapfl, who each shot even-par 72.

Barnhart was able to manage the difficult course and a stiff wind that made it more challenging. He avoided big numbers, posting 11 pars and nothing over a bogey.

'Overall, this course is pretty tough but a 20-mile per hour wind, it really made it a lot harder,” Barnhart said. 'Getting up and down a lot. I missed greens but got up-and-down for the par.”

Barnhart shot even-par 36 on the front nine, carding consecutive birdies on the par-3 No. 8 and par-4 ninth hole.

'He's played really well,” Green said about Barnhart, who was the Class 4A state runner-up last year as a freshman.

Washington's Connor Neighbors was the highest Metro finisher. He also scored 75 but ended up fourth overall. Neighbors closed strong with a 35 on the front night, scoring birdies on the par-3 fourth and par-5 No. 6 hole.

Washington Coach Dennis Goettel said Neighbors has recorded more than 40 pars in his first 54 holes of the season. He had 12 Thursday.

'He's pretty darn accurate,” Goettel said. 'He keeps the ball in play. He's a good shot maker. He's just a solid player.”

l Comments: (319) 368-8679; kj.pilcher@thegazette.com