MOUNTAIN HOME -- Siloam Springs knew it would have to play lights out for two straight days to be in contention in the Class 6A Boys Golf State Tournament.
The Panthers improved their team score by one stroke on the second day and finished with a two day total of 667 (334-333), finishing fourth overall at Big Creek Golf and Athletic Club.
"First off I'm very proud of another great season by our boys," said Siloam Springs golf coach Michael Robertson. "I'm so proud of the improvement these guys showed over the last year. We lost a low score from last season but these guys worked hard through the ups and downs and played better than a season ago."
Six-time defending state champion Jonesboro won its seventh straight title with a two-day score of 588 (300-288). Greenwood was 6A-West Conference champion and finished state runner-up with a score of 644 (315-329), while Benton was third at 658 (331-327) and Siloam Springs in fourth. Searcy was fifth at 692, followed by Russellville 705 and Marion 710.
"Obviously we didn't come here to win fourth place but hats off to Jonesboro for a seventh title in a row," Robertson said. "They are where we are working hard to get to. Coming into the tournament we knew we had to card four really good scores two days in a row to have a chance at the championship. For the most part we hit it really well. We struggled off the tee at times and green speed just really hurt us. We just couldn't score quite like we needed to in order to make a run."
Jonesboro was led by repeat individual champion Wil Gibson, who shot a two-day total of 138 (71-67).
Greenwood's Evan Griffith, who led with a 68 on Monday, shot 79 on Tuesday and finished tied for second at 147 with Jonesboro's Chandler Copeland.
Senior Noah Karp and sophomore Karson Clement each shot two-day totals of 163 to lead Siloam Springs. Karp, who earned All-Conference honors, shot 82 on the first day and followed up with an 81 on Tuesday. Clement, who just missed All-Conference honors after shooting 83 on Monday, shot an 80 on Tuesday.
Senior Cody Beyer was All-Conference after shooting 82 on Monday and shot 83 on Tuesday to finish with a 165. Sophomore Chase Beyer shot a two day total of 176 (87-89), while senior Will Gambill shot 207 (97-110).
"This season just goes so fast," Robertson said. "Hard to believe Cody, Noah and Will just played their last match as Panthers. Was hoping we could get some hardware for those seniors. They have made such a huge impact on our program. They were part of a group that had a third place and two fourth-place state finishes in their career.
"I know its not the finish they were hoping for, but it's because of their hard work and leadership that our goals and expectations have been raised to a point that they expect more. That's a credit to those guys and something they should be proud of for sure."
The Panthers return Clement, Beyer and 6A state alternate Josh Johnson, along with a bevy of underclassmen next year.
"We return two guys in Karson and Chase who have played in two really tough state tournaments," Robertson said. "They have competed against the best in this state and done really well. We expect big seasons out of both of them next year. Josh Johnson and (freshman) Luke Baker both gained experience this season. Both have the potential to have a great season. It was really exciting to see Josh starting to put it together the last month of the season.
"We have several others who improved this season and we will work hard to get them ready to take the next step. Looks like we have a nice group of young ones coming up that have been playing so there is excitement with that also. We will take a little time to recharge and then get back to work."
Sports on 10/09/2016