May 30, 2023

CSC Golf Classic has repeat champions

Posted May 30, 2023 3:51 PM

BY: CON MARSHALL
CSC Sports Information

CHADRON, Neb. -- For the second year in a row, the youngest team won the Championship Flight of the 28th Chadron State College Golf Classic last weekend.

The winners again are Jacksyn Behrends, Trevor Berry and Tyler Westlake, all of Chadron, and Dom Yates of Lander, Wyo.  Their average age is 21.

They shot a 63 on Saturday to share the lead with a familiar trio made up of Tom, Bret and Scott Simons plus Randy Burke.  Strong winds caused nearly every teams' scores to rise Saturday, particularly in the afternoon. 

But on Sunday conditions were almost perfect, and the winners fired a 57 for a 120 total, to win by five strokes over the Simons' trio and Burke, who carded a 62 during their second 18 holes.

Third place in the top flight went to CSC Golf Coach John Ritzen, Eagles' football offensive coordinator Micah Smith, Ritzen's cousin Gregg Trepka of Parker, Colo., and their mutual friend, Beau Miskimins of Windsor, Colo., with rounds of 65 and 64 for a 129 total.

The winners were hot on Sunday, racking up an eagle, 15 birdies and two pars for their 57, according to Berry. However, he said their most spectacular hole was probably No. 4 on Saturday.  That's when Yates reached the green with his blast off the tee and also made the putt on his second shot for an eagle on the par four hole.

Berry added that since all the team members are so young they couldn't afford to play in the tourney if it wasn't for sponsorship they received from Chadron Motors Co. 

The repeat champs also shot a 57 during Saturday's first round a year ago before it rained and washed out the second half of Sunday's action. 

The classic's all-time low total was in 2007, when Steve Behrends, Judd Hageman and the Simons brothers, Bret and Scott, shot a pair of 56s for a 112 and a nine-stroke victory.  In the last 10 years when two full 18-hole rounds have been played, the lowest total was in 2018 when Rob Stack joined with the Simons trio for a two 59s and a 118 total.

 At least one Simons has been on the Championship Flight winner 15 times. 

Stack also was on a winning team this year.  He played in a foursome made up of his son Jayden, his daughter Kiya and her husband, Blake Miller, to win the Second Flight with a 138 total.  They edged the Gordon trio comprised of Rod Borders, Chik Hensley and Dennis King along with Chuck Niemeyer of Ashland, all of whom have played in nearly all of the classics, by just one stroke. 

Another perennial participant, Dr. Dan Johnson of Chadron, was a member of the First Flight winner.  Joining with his son Pete, his son-in-law Aaron Bertels of Rapid City and his wife's nephew, Judd Norman of Billings, Mont., that quartet had rounds of 67 and 70 for a 137 total and a three-shot victory.

Through the years, Dr. Dan was a member of three Championship Flight winners and couple of teams that forced playoffs to determine the overall champs.

The most spectacular improvement from Saturday to Sunday on the scoresheets was posted by a pair of long-time friends and athletes at both Chadron High and Chadron State, Lee Baumann and Scott Weiting, and sons Chris Baumann and Jeff Weiting. They shot a 76 the first day of the classic, then fired a 66 the second day.

It was their first participation in the classic in several years after Scott Weiting suffered a badly broken leg during a mishap while he was going down the incline at Assumption Arena where the Saturday night prime rib dinner was being held.  Everyone was glad to see them back.

Other former CSC Eagles from long ago who played in the classic again included the Riley twins, Larry and Mike, natives of Indiana who have been involved in college or pro basketball ever since graduating from the college in the mid-1960s. 

Larry's claim to fame includes insisting that the Golden State Warriors draft Stephen Curry and then serving as that team's general manager when Curry and his teammates were perennial NBA powers.  As an advance scout for several teams, especially the Utah Jazz, Mike may have seen more NBA games that almost anyone else and seldom, if ever, had to buy a ticket. 


The classic results follow:

Championship Flight—1, Jacksyn Behrends, Trevor Berry and Tyler Westlake, Chadron, and Dom Yates, Lander, Wyo., 63-57, 120; 2, Randy Burke and Tom Simons, Chadron,  Brett Simons, Rapid City, and  Scott Simons, Gillette, 63-62, 125; 3, John Ritzen and Micah Smith, Chadron, Beau Miskimins, Windsor Colo., and Gregg Trepka, Parker, Colo., 65-64, 129; 4-5, Dave Feddersen, Hunter Hageman and Brady Roes, Chadron, and Cody Roes, Lincoln, 64-68, 132, and Dan Anderson, Cory Olson and Jordan Raben, and Ryan Osmotherly, Crawford, 66-66, 132; 6, Rick, Misty and Alpine Hickstein, and Rob Wahlstrom, Chadron, 66-67, 133; 7, Cole Montgomery, Garrett Mortimor and Kyle Vinich, Casper, and Clint Sasse, Chadron, 65-71, 136.

First Flight—1, Aaron Bertels, Rapid City, Dan and Pete Johnson, Chadron, and Judd Norman, Billings, Mont., 67-70, 137; 2, Mitch Barry, Tye Pourier, Jason Sommerville, Chadron, and John Thayer, Yankton, S.D., 71-69, 140; 3, Kevin Emanuel, Osceola, Iowa, Logan Spence, Casper, Toby Spence, Douglas, Wyo., and Dave Wiedeman, Dalton, 68-72, 140; 4-5, Andy and James Gooder, Chadron; Cody Huebner, and Zach Sandstrom, Greeley, Colo., 71-71, 142, and Larry and Mike Riley, Chandler, Ariz., Ryan Riley, Austin, Texas, and Brett Timm, Parker, Colo., 71-71, 142; 6,  Chad Benton, Andrew and Joel Smith, Chadron, and Rick Koza, Windsor, Colo., 69-74, 143.

Second Flight—1, Blake Miller and Kiya Stack-Miller, Sioux City; Jayden Stack, Wellington, Colo., and Rob Stack, Chadron, 72-66, 138; 2, Rod Borders, Chik Hensley and Dennis King, Gordon, and Chuck Niemeyer, Ashland, Neb., 73-66, 139; 3, Tucker Allison, Moorcroft, Wyo., Kevin Allison and Corey Arndt, Gillette, and Dick Arndt, Cozad, 72-69, 141; 4, Lee Baumann, Bonita Springs, Fla., Chris Baumann and Jeff Weiting, Denver, and Scott Weiting, Castle Rock, Colo.; 76-66, 142; 5, Rob Bila, Randy Rhine and Jim Gardner, Chadron, and Matt Mickley, Rapid City, 74-70, 144; 6, Kerry Bailey, Chadron, Tom Horne, Scottsbluff, Chad Johnson, Mitchell, and Curt Moffat, Lander, Wyo., 72-73, 145; 7-8, Tucker Allison, Moorcroft, Rhett Flint, Sammy Garcia and Scott Jeffress, Gillette, 72-75, 147, and Jed Herblen and Mike Lecher, Chadron, Les Tlustos, Hay Springs, and B.J. Thomas, Thedford, 74-73, 147; 9, A.J. Huffman, McCook, Corbin Moffett, Bangor, Pa., and Sean O'Brien and Tanner Sand, Chadron, 74-74, 148; 10, CJ Bach, Jay Long, Matt Ritterbush and Jeff Turman, Chadron, 72-79, 151.

Third Flight—1, Levi Clark, Lusk, Sandy Christy, Castle Rock, Colo., Rog Rogers, Slinger, Wis., and Todd Rosenbach, Denver, 76-66, 142; 2, Herb Ryan, Indianola, Vice Ryan, Chadron, Keegan Shuck, Lincoln and Tracy Shuck, Norfolk, 76-72, 148; 3, Craig Clarke, Hot Springs, Bruce Schoepner, Roger Stevens and Bob Zahm, Chadron, 77-74, 151; 4, Reed Burgener, Douglas, Wyo., Tim Clayton, Sargent, Neb., Brett Hunter, Chadron, and Taygen Smith, Amarillo, Texas, 78-73, 151; 5, Tim Kreider and Joe Liebentritt, Crawford; Mike Rotherham, O'Neill, and Kent Thompson, Casper; 79-74, 153; 6, Jamie and Kristie Roes and Jeff and Deedee Turman, Chadron, 80-75, 155; 7, Brian Creech, Billings,  Mikayla Gallagher and Jacob Rissler, North Platte, and Lucus Rissler, Gillette, 80-80, 160.