Cougars dominate MVC Mississippi Division (VIDEO)

MARION - The all-conference team resembled a Cedar Rapids Kennedy team photo. As the top golfers of the Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Division were announced and stood in front of the remaining golfers and fans outside the Gardner Golf Course clubhouse, the majority were sporting Cougar shirts. Kennedy golfers earned the top four spots in the third round of the MVC Mississippi divisional meet and the overall standings Monday at Gardner. The Cougars won the meet with 294, 29 shots better than runner-up Iowa City High, and won the 54-hole event with an 889. The Cougars, which jumped Ankeny for the top spot in the Class 4A team rankings by the Iowa High School Golf Coaches Association, weren't complacent with cruising to the end.“I'm proud of this team,” Kennedy junior Cody Bell said. “We knew we had a big lead but we didn't take anything for granted. We still went out and played our game and whatever happened happened. We didn't worry about the final score of the other teams. We just played us against the course.” They handled Gardner better than any other team, placing five in the top seven and each golfer in the top 13. Bell and the state's top-ranked golfer, Dane Worley, led the way. Bell captured medalist honors with a 1-under-par 71. Worley shot even par to win the three-round divisional with a overall score of 214, 10 shots ahead of Bell for Athlete of the Year honors. Bell scorched the back-nine, carding a 33 which included an eagle on the par-5 No. 11 and birdie on the par-5 16th hole. He also birdied the par-5 No. 6, giving him 3-under on the four par-5's. He carded three birdies on the front for a 2-over 38 after shooting over par on four of seven holes.  “I was hitting my driver really well. Probably the best I've hit all year,” Bell said. “I was putting my wedges pretty close and that was pretty much the key. “Every time I made a bogey I was able to come back with a birdie. That was real important because I could get a streak.” Worley remained solid tallying three birdies, including one on the par-4 14th. His approach landed within inches of the cup for an easy tap-in. Worley followed up a pair of 1-under 71 rounds to go along with the even 72 to close the event. "I was able to make birdies when I needed," said Worley, adding. "My goal was to play under par and that's what I did." Teammates Mitchell Martin and Brigham Stewart finish third and fourth, shooting 75 and 76, respectively. The two switched rankings overall with Stewart placing third with a 228 and Martin fourth at 229.   Waterloo West was a distant second with 958 and City High and Linn-Mar finished third and fourth with 963 and 970, respectively. Linn-Mar's Tyler McCann tied Stewart for fourth and Little Hawks senior Ryan Maske was fifth, posting a 78. Maske was the top golfer overall not wearing a Kennedy uniform. It's the second straight year he has earned all-conference honors after being a second-teamer as a sophomore. “It was nice to shoot that and make the first team,” Maske said. “This is my senior year. It's nice to come out on top.”