Sanders, Warriors Take District Titles

Sanders, Warriors Take District Titles

Mayetta, Kansas -- With a birdie on the 3rd playoff hole, Indian Hills freshman Ricky Sanders won the individual title at the NJCAA District III Championship on Tuesday, matching the team crown the Warriors also claimed. Sanders defeated Dodge City's Witchayapat Sinsrang in the playoff after they had tied with 215 totals over 54 holes at the Firekeeper Golf Course. Indian Hills rallied for the first-place finish, defeating Dodge City by eight strokes on the strength of the Warriors' final-round seven-under par 281 team score. The Warriors and Conquistadors were tied heading into the last round.

Sanders had a closing three-under 69 compared to Sinsrang's 70 and then took home the individual trophy after the two battled for three extra holes. It was the second first-place finish for Sanders this spring -- he also won the season-opening TaylorMade-adidas Intercollegiate -- and his 4th top-three result in five competitions.

Indian Hills, the nation's No. 1 team in the Bushnell Golfweek NJCAA Division I Coaches Poll the last six rankings, got progressively better over the three rounds against six competitors. They were one shot back of Dodge City after the opening 18 holes Monday, starting with a 308, then got even with the Conqs following a 291 in the middle round. The 281 they fired in the last round equaled their lowest 18 hole-score for the spring.

Sophomore Jackson Bugdalski helped IHCC seize the district title with a final-round four-under par 68. Bugdalski had rounds of 77 and 78 on Monday but got back on track for the final 18. He tied with teammate Julien Sale for 5th place at 223. Sale rebounded from an 80 to begin the tourney with a 69, three-under, in round two and closed with a 74. Eric Gilpin shot even-par 72 in the last round and wound up a single shot behind his teammates Bugdalski and Sale in 7th place. Jakub Bares also provided an even-par 72 Tuesday to grab 16th place.

Indian Hills has won four of its five tourneys during the spring season and now will have three weeks to prepare for the NJCAA Division I National Championship May 16-19 at the Buffalo Dunes Golf Club in Garden City, Kansas. That was the site of one of the Warriors' previous wins. They took the Southwest Kansas Shootout when it was played on that course earlier this month.

NJCAA District III Championship

Team scores:

1. Indian Hills 308-291-281=880; 2. Dodge City 307-292-289=888; 3. Iowa Western 312-306-287=905; 4. Hutchinson 318-321-283=922; 5. Garden City 318-323-299=940; 6. Barton County 320-326-297=943; 7. Hesston 375-343-337=1055

Indian Hills scores:

1. Ricky Sanders 74-72-69=215; T5. Jackson Bugdalski 77-78-68=223; T5. Julien Sale 80-69-74=223; 7. Eric Gilpin 77-75-72=224; 16. Jakub Bares 84-75-72=231; T26. Clayton Larsen 81-80-78=239