After ending its regular season with an unblemished record of 28-0 the Ravens entered this year’s Class 1A boys golf sectional at the Knoll Ridge Country Club on May 10 with all the momentum in the world.  

Keeping the ball rolling Hillcrest will be advancing to the District Tournament for a third year in a row, courtesy of their first place finish at the sectional meet. 

Seven teams and 39 golfers entered this 18-hole sectional foray and they all had the same goal of qualifying for Districts on their minds. The top two teams would be able to advance and the top two golfers outside of the qualifying teams would also be able advance as individuals. 

It ended up being closer than they would have hoped, but the Ravens handled the pressure and secured the sectional championship with a first place score of 330. 

“The Ravens played solid today. Not exciting golf, but solid team golf. Despite shooting 330, this was not their best day,” Hillcrest coach Phil Schintler said. “Not having their best day they still came out on top. They all know their best days are just around the corner.”

Coming in second place to also qualify for Districts was the host school, the English Valleys Bears, with a runner-up score of 336. 

If the host team places in the top two, as the Bears did, this allows the third place school to also qualify. That being said the Regina Regals will also advance to the District Tournament with its third place score of 341. 

Hillcrest senior Jace Rempel led the way for the Ravens at this sectional meet. 

Rempel was the top performer for Hillcrest with a score of 79, shooting 40 on the front nine and a 39 on the back nine. His score was good enough to place him fourth overall. He ended the meet with 10 made pars and sank in one birdie on hole 3. 

The next highest ranking Raven was senior Luke Schrock. Luke garnered a sixth place finish with his score of 81, shooting 39 on the front nine and a 42 on the back nine. He started off the day with two made birdies on the first two holes. Playing a fairly consistent game, Luke would end his day with eight made pars. 

“Our game plan was to win but we made it closer than we should have,” Luke Schrock told KCII after the meet was concluded. “We still got the win though, so that’s alright.”

Sophomore Liam Schrock and freshman Rowan Miller would post identical scores for the Ravens. 

Liam would shoot a 44 on the front nine and a 41 on the back nine to arrive at his final score of 85. Despite still recovering from an illness that caused him to end the last Raven’s golf meet early, Liam was able to tough it out and finish the course. He even managed to sink in an eagle, two under par, on hole 12. 

Miller would match his teammate’s score of 85 by shooting a 41 on the front nine and a 44 on the back nine. He would end the day with eight pars and one birdie. Liam and Miller would finish in ninth place and 10th place respectively.

Rounding out the scoring for Hillcrest would be sophomore Seth Ours and senior Josiah Beachy. 

Ours would take 14th place after shooting a 42 on the front nine and a 45 on the back nine to reach a final score of 97. Beachy shot a 47 on the front nine and a 45 in the back ninth to finish in 19th place with an overall score of 92. 

With the goal of earning a bid to the 1A State Tournament the Ravens battled it out in the 1A District meet at the Brown Deer Golf Course in Coralville on May 16.