Iowa high school golf notes: Isaiah Zoske sets Solon record with 29 at Lake MacBride

Isaiah Zoske didn’t realize how well he was playing until midway through the round.

Even when it was finished, it took longer to grasp what he accomplished.

The Solon junior etched his name in the school record book last week. Zoske fired a 7-under 29 at Lake MacBride Golf Course on April 15, breaking the school’s nine-hole mark. He earned medalist honors in the dual against Independence, winning by nine strokes over teammate Jack McCarty.

“I couldn’t really believe it until after the meet when I got home and started talking to my parents about it,” Zoske said. “It was a pretty special day.”

Zoske started strong and shot par or better on every hole to post the state’s lowest nine-hole round. He opened with five straight birdies. Zoske’s first par came on the par-3 No. 6 hole, but he closed with birdie-par-birdie, which included two par-5 holes. His short game was key.

“I hit eight greens (in regulation) and made 11 putts,” Zoske said. “That was pretty much the whole reason I played so well. I almost holed out a couple times. I think my longest putt was 20 feet. I just had a lot of things going my way.”

Solon Coach Adam Stahle said his records go back to 2008. Sterling McIlravy (2017) and Zoske (2021 and 2022) shared the previous best of 34 during that stretch. Stahle also noted that the course record for nine holes is 28, which is not a high school record and makes it reasonable to assume that 29 is the Spartans’ best.

“All I can say is it was one of the best, if not the best, round of golf I have ever seen,” Stahle said. “I am not talking about just high school meets either. He made about a 15-foot putt on No. 2 and after that I am not sure he had anything outside of 6 feet.

“He made a good up-and-down on the sixth hole and left the birdie putt on the lip of the No. 8 cup. It was really fun to witness.”

Zoske, who placed at eighth at the Class 3A state meet last season and 10th as a freshman, leads the state with a 34.25 nine-hole average and 35.68 adjusted average. He averages 74 per 18 holes, posting a low-round of 67 for a Solon Invitational school record.

Zoske ranks eighth among all classes (fourth in 3A) with a 37.30 combined adjusted average. He has placed among the leaders in every competition this season.

“I think it has gone well for me,” Zoske said of the overall season. “I’ve played some good rounds and some bad rounds. I just have to keep moving forward and stay in the present. Don’t worry about anything ahead of me. As long as I do that, I should be able to reach my goals. Hopefully, I will help the team out as well.”

Iowa City Liberty wins Clash for the Club

Iowa City Liberty captured bragging rights among its Iowa City Community Schools girls’ golf counterparts for the fourth straight year. The Lightning won the Iowa City Invitational on Monday at Finkbine Golf Course. The “Clash for the Club” is in its fourth year of existence and includes a traveling trophy topped with the head of a club. The Lightning have won it all four years.

Liberty shot 390 and topped Iowa City High by 12 strokes with Iowa City West getting third. The Lightning’s Isabella Pettersen earned medalist honors with 73. City High’s Haleigh Nelson was second with 83.

Lila Bowman, Layla Langseth and Sydney Hested rounded out Liberty’s scoring foursome.

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MVC Super Meet set for Monday

The Mississippi Valley Conference begins championship play Monday with the MVC Super Meet at Ellis Golf Course, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Linn-Mar state champion Morgan Rupp and Cedar Rapids Washington’s Mya Messenger tied for medalist honors last year. Both return this season. Linn-Mar is the defending team champion.

Dubuque Wahlert and Western Dubuque are second and third, respectively, in the state for combined adjusted team average. Cedar Falls ranks eighth and Washington is ninth. Linn-Mar and Cedar Rapids Xavier are in the top 15 as well.

This is the first of three competitions to determine all-conference individual honors and divisional team champions. Scores from the Super Meet will be added to two rounds of divisional play in May.

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com