Cedar Rapids Xavier’s Charlie Allen, Kennedy’s Reid Hall share CRANDIC boys’ golf medalist honors

CORALVILLE — Cedar Rapids Xavier’s Charlie Allen entered the day with a good feeling.

He expected a strong round that hovered around even par. Allen broke that barrier with his best 18-hole round.

Allen and Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s Reid Hall each fired 3-under par 68 for co-medalist honors at the CRANDIC boys’ golf meet Tuesday at Brown Deer Golf Club. The Cougars won the team title, shooting 300 total and topping runner-up Cedar Rapids Prairie by six.

“The season has gone really well,” Allen said. “This is my second 18-hole (round) at even or better. I’ve posted nine-holes under par. It’s really good, considering this is my first summer playing under par.”

According to Xavier Coach Tim O’Brien, Allen shot 1-under at Brown Deer for a Junior PGA meet during the summer. He asked Allen to make notes on how to manage a player’s approach and play at the course. O’Brien shared with the team, but he also wanted Allen to think about his own approach for each hole.

“The result was co-medalist in today’s nine-team CRANDIC with a (-3) 68,” O’Brien said, “and his lowest round of high school golf.”

Allen opened on the No. 12 hole. He parred six of the first seven, but heated up on the front nine. Allen carded four birdies on the first, second, fourth and sixth holes. He tamed the quartet of par-5 holes with three birdies and a par.

On the par-5 No. 4, Allen was still reeling from missing a 2-footer on the previous hole. He hit to within 90 yards in, stuck the next on the green and two-putted for a birdie.

“The key is getting the ball close enough to the greens to score,” Allen said. “That was pretty big.

“Just being able to put the ball in the right spot to make birdies.”

Allen said his putting helped secure the low round. Setting up those putts was just as important.

“He hit all 18 greens today,” O’Brien said. “With that wind, it was impressive.

“He has become a much smarter golfer.”

The round was good but not perfect. Allen is going right back to work to refine his game and improve each round.

“Just grinding,” said Allen, who helped the Saints place third with 309. “A lot of short-game practice because that’s where all the scoring is.”

Allen, Hall and Prairie’s Tanner Wachtl came in under par. Wachtl was third with 69. Hall has been one of the area’s top golfers. He shot six less than his 74-stroke average per 18 thanks to three birdies on the front and one on the back nine.

Hall carded a birdie on No. 17 with eight pars on the back. He also birdied Nos. 1, 2 and 4.

“Reid was Reid,” Kennedy Coach Mike Green said. “He’s playing so well.”

The entire Cougars lineup has played well this season. Kennedy had three of the top seven finishers and five in the top 20. This might be the best all-around team under Green as head coach.

“We have kids who play and play a lot of golf,” Green said. “Our top seven kids play a lot. They’ve matured to the point where a bad shot doesn’t linger. It used to linger.”

Kennedy’s Gannon Hall and A.J. Corkery tied for sixth with 76. Carter Vander Zee and Brady Shea added 80 apiece.

“Team success means more,” Green said. “Everybody doing well as a team means we will fare well. Hopefully, they’re buying in. They get along well, which is good.”

Prairie added another second-place finish this season. In addition to Wachtl, Payton Burns shot 77. Ashton Carmer and Jace Rickertsen rounded out the Hawks scoring with 80 apiece.

CRANDIC MEET

At Coralville

(Brown Deer Golf Club, par 71)

Teams – 1. C.R. Kennedy 300, 2. C.R. Prairie 306, 3. C.R. Xavier 309, 4. C.R. Washington 311, 5. Iowa City Liberty 316, 6. C.R. Jefferson 319, 7. Linn-Mar 322, 8. Iowa City West 326, 9. Iowa City High 397.

Individuals – 1. (tie) Charlie Allen (CRX) and Reid Hall (CRK), 68, 3. Tanner Wachtl (CRP), 69, 4. Tate Brunk (ICL), 73, 5. Nile Petersen (CRW), 74.

KENNEDY (300): Hall 68, Gannon Hall 76, A.J. Corkery 76, Carter Vander Zee 80, Brady Shea 80

PRAIRIE (306): Wachtl 69, Payton Burns 77, Ashton Carmer 80, Jace Rickertsen 80

XAVIER (309): Allen 68, Garrett Nurre 78, Quincey Johnson 81, Grant Allen 82

WASHINGTON (311): Petersen 74, Zack Brown 78, Joe Giblin 79, Nathan McDermott 80

I.C. LIBERTY (316): Brunk 73, Ryan Schmierer 79, Ben Schafer 81, J.J. Grimm 83

JEFFERSON (319): Landon Augustine 78, Logan Miller 79, Adam Panoch 81, Logan Augustine 81

LINN-MAR (322): Matthew Buse 77, Schrey Kapoor 79, Syon Kapoor 81, Carter Bond 85

I.C. WEST (326): Dillon Croco 77, Brady Simcox 79, Cole Eberly 83, Owen Larson 87

CITY HIGH (397): Ethan Nace 94, Nicholas Meredith 100, Arthur Hall 101, Zachary Meredith 102, Max Waldschmidt 102