The Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association crowned their new Junior Amateur Champions this week at the Bogey Club while another head coach and new athletic director were announced as we head into July. Plus, one of the top girls’ basketball players in the area decided where she will continue her academic and basketball career.
Let’s get caught up with all the stories in this week’s edition of the Friday Fast Break.
MAGA put on their 23rd annual Metropolitan Junior Amateur earlier this week at the Bogey Club in Ladue. The tournament had five divisions with the top junior players from the metro area competing. Morgan Nute won the girls’ 13U division with a two-day score of 156 while Caden Fehr won the boys’ 13U division by shooting a five-under-par score of 137 to win the title. In the boys’ 15U division, Konnor Kueper took home the title with a four-over-par score of 146.
In the girls’ 19U division, Audrey Cain fired an even-par round of 71 in the final round to overcome a one-stroke deficit after the first day to claim the Barbara A. Berkmeyer Trophy. The recent graduate of Alton-Marquette finished the tournament with a score of 147 as she was able to hold off defending champion Avery McLaughlin from Visitation and Payton Cusick from Marquette whom both finished with scores of 154.
In the boys’ 19U division, Ryan Hopwood claimed the James M. Holtgrieve Trophy with a pair of under rounds to win the championship. The senior from Marquette took a one-stroke lead over Lutheran South’s Andy Hennen into the final round after opening the tournament with a three-under-par round of 68. Hopwood would pull away from Hennen in the final round as he birdied two of the first three holes. He then rebounded from a bogey on the fourth with three consecutive birdies on the sixth, seventh, and eighth holes to finish the opening nine with a four-under-par 32. Hopwood had eight pars and a birdie on the inward nine holes to finish with a 66, claiming the championship for the first time with an eight-under-par score of 134. Hennen finished the tourney with a three-under-par score of 139 as he and Hopwood were the only two players to finish under par in the championship.
Kirkwood tabbed Sam Briscoe as their new boys’ basketball coach earlier this week. Briscoe takes over for Jimmy McKinney, who left the district to pursue other employment opportunities late in May. The former Duchesne standout has spent the past three seasons at Drury University in Springfield, Mo. Briscoe was a graduate assistant for two years and then moved into a full-time assistant position last year under head coach Chris Foster.
Seckman has a new Athletic Director as Tracy Schmidt will take over for Ryan Kastens, who is taking over as an assistant principal at Herculaneum. Schmidt comes to Seckamn after heading the Hazelwood East athletic department for the past three years.
Natalie Potts from Incarnate Word announced that she will be furthering her academic and basketball career at Nebraska following her upcoming senior season. Potts has been a big part of the Red Knights current 68-game winning streak and aided IWA to their fifth straight state title this past winter. Potts led the Red Knights in scoring with an average of 19.3 points per game and she also paced IWA by grabbing 8.6 rebounds per contest. Potts continues the tradition of players from IWA that have moved on to the Division I ranks.
Jim Powers has been covering prep sports in the St. Louis area for 15+ years and a part of the Missouri State High School Activities Association Championship Broadcasts for the past 11 years. Powers is also a part of the Fox 2 Verlo Mattress Prep Zone Friday nights at 10:10 during the football and basketball seasons. If you have a prep sports story, please contact Jim at japowers2421@yahoo.com. Follow Jim at @hssportscaravan
