DRAGON GOLFERS QUALIFY FOR NATIONALS FOR 22ND-STRAIGHT SEASON

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Hutchinson CC Sports Information

WICHITA – After a huge rebound round on Tuesday, the streak is intact for the No. 2-ranked Hutchinson Community College men's golf team.

The Blue Dragons rallied with the best team round of the NJCAA Central District/Region VI Championship to finish third overall at Crestview Country Club's North Course and earn an automatic bid to nationals for the 22nd-straight season.

The Blue Dragons shot 3-under par 285 on Tuesday and jumped two spots in the team standings to third with a 54-hole total of 892.

The two-time defending national champion Blue Dragons will now play in their 25th overall national tournament on May 16-19 at Sand Creek Station in Newton.

After shooting 31 strokes over par through 36 holes on Monday, the Blue Dragons led Barton by four strokes for the fifth and final automatic qualifying spot.

Starting with a birdie and eagle from sophomore Blake Saffell in the first nine holes, the Blue Dragons returned to form after a rough opening two rounds and the Dragons started to climb the team standings.

Counting scores of Saffell's 4-under 68, even par 72s from sophomore Dominic Clemons and Marco Anderson and 1-over 73 from Alex Lindstrom, the Blue Dragons posted the best team round of the tournament at 285, moving past Iowa Western and Garden City to finish third in the district and second in the region.

Dodge City won both the district and team title at 13-over par 877 after a final round 292 on Tuesday. Indian Hills was second in the district after a Tuesday round of 295 and 54-hole total of 883. Garden City (896) and Iowa Western (899) were the other automatic qualifiers.

Lindstrom was the only Blue Dragon to finish in the Individual Top 10, tying for seventh place. Lindstrom struggled early in the final round reaching 4-over par through seven holes played. Lindstrom then played 3-under par over the remaining 11 holes to finish at 1-over 73 and tied for seventh at 4-over 220.

Anderson tied for 14th overall at 8-over 224. After rounds of 73 and 79 on Monday, Anderson had a steady final round of three birdies and three bogeys for an even-par 72. Anderson was 2-over through 15 holes, but had back-to-back birdies on his 16th and 17th holes to pull to level par for the round.

Both Saffell and Clemons tied for 17th at 226.

Saffell had the biggest recovery from the rough Monday where he posted back-to-back 79s. Starting his day on hole No. 6, Saffell birdied No. 11 and had an eagle on No. 14 to drop to 3-under for the round. Saffell had a bogey on No. 16, but erased that with a birdie on No. 18. Saffell added a birdie on No. 2 to post the best individual round and only sub-70 round of the tournament with a 68.

Clemons started the day with two bogeys over his first four holes, but carded birdies on Nos. 18 and No. 4 – Clemon's final hole of the tournament – to finish at 72 for the round.

Freshman Kalle Svederman shot a final round 2-over 74 on Tuesday and completed the tournament tied for 23rd at 228.

Blue Dragon individual player Louis Galvin shot a 74 on Tuesday and finished tied for 23rd at 228. Brooks Sauder closed with an 82 on Tuesday and finished tied for 52nd at 253.

There was a three-way tie for the District individual championship between Garden City's Joshua Balson-Scales, Dodge City's Arthit Kruaprayong and Coffeyville's Braden Smith at 2-over 218.