Recent results show Creighton Prep is favored to win third-straight Class A boys golf title | NE Prep Zone

NORFOLK, Neb. – The stats say otherwise, but the results show that Omaha Creighton Prep should be favored to win its third straight Class A boys golf title.

In the NSAA point-differential standings, the Junior Jays were third behind leader Omaha Westside and Elkhorn South. But in two tournaments this month in which all three schools were entered, Prep fared the best.

At the Metro Conference championships, Prep won by seven strokes over Westside and 15 over Elkhorn South. Two days later on the Norfolk Country Club state-meet course, Prep and Elkhorn South tied for first and Westside was two back.

Those three teams won districts. The fourth district champion was Lincoln East, which shot 5-over at Highlands in Lincoln to assert itself as a contender.

Rain is likely both days of the Class A meet Tuesday and Wednesday and likewise for the Class C meet 40 miles south at Elks Country Club in Columbus.

Class B is at Scotts Bluff Country Club and Class D at Lake Mahoney in North Platte.

Besides teams, Class A also ranks players by relation to course ratings. While seven of the top 10 are seniors, two are sophomores Jackson Benge of Omaha Westside and Connor Steichen of Prep (each a district champion) and freshman Thomas Bryson of Lincoln Southeast. Benge is first, Bryson second and Steichen fifth.

The lowest round in districts was a 7-under 65 by Bowdie Fox of Grand Island Central Catholic in Class C. He kept up a family tradition by becoming the third in the family with district titles.

“Both of my brothers accomplished this as well so that is nice that I’m able to do that,” Fox said. “But I couldn’t believe the way I won it. I was just in the zone and just playing my game. I was doing my thing and it was working for me. I can’t expect much more than that.”

When: Tuesday-Wednesday. Tee times start at 9 a.m. each day.

Where: Class A, Norfolk Country Club; Class B, Scotts Bluff Country Club; Class C, Elks Country Club, Columbus. Class D, Lake Maloney Golf Course, North Platte

Returning champions – Team: Class A, Omaha Creighton Prep; Class B, Elkhorn Mount Michael; Class D, North Platte St. Patrick’s. Individual: none.

Class A: *Elkhorn South, Fremont, Grand Island; Gretna, Kearney, *Lincoln East, Lincoln Southeast, Lincoln Southwest, Millard North, Millard West, *Omaha Creighton Prep, *Omaha Westside.

Class B: Columbus Lakeview, *Elkhorn Mount Michael, Elkhorn North, McCook, Minden, *Norris, Ogallala, Omaha Concordia, *Omaha Skutt, *Scottsbluff, Wayne, York.

Class C: Amherst, *Columbus Scotus, *Doniphan-Trumbull; Fremont Bergan, Grand Island Central Catholic; Hartington Cedar Catholic, Heartland, *Kearney Catholic, *Lincoln Lutheran, Milford, Mitchell, Tekamah-Herman; *Tri County Northeast, West Holt, Yutan.

Class D: Crawford, Hemingford, *Howells-Dodge, Humphrey St. Francis, Lawrence-Nelson, *Loomis, Neligh-Oakdale, *North Platte St. Patrick’s, Overton, *Pender, *Perkins County, Southern Valley, Stanton, Thayer Central, Wausa

District champions – Class A: Jackson Benge, Westside; Andrew Whittaker, Elkhorn South; Connor Steichen, Prep; Parker Bunting, Lincoln East. Class B: Will Mullin, Skutt; Jacob Goertz, Mount Michael; Treyton Baehr, Beatrice; John Beier, Sidney. Class C, Noah Carpenter, Palmyra; Brady Davis, Bergan; Nathan Oswald, Tri County Northeast; Bowdie Pox, Grand Island Central Catholic; Cael Peters, Mitchell. Class D: Zach Vandervoort, Thayer Central; Dillon Critel, Burwell; Gage Burns, Creighton; Connor Hasenauer, St. Patrick’s; Kyler Lusche, Kimball.​

The World-Herald News Service contributed to this report.