Eberhart enjoys state experience on Dodge City course

Louisburg senior Johnny Eberhart made the cut at the Class 4A state golf tournament in Dodge City and finished 31st overall with a 172.

One of Johnny Eberhart’s goals at the Class 4A Kansas State Golf Championships was just to make the cut and play on that second day.

Eberhart did just that during the 2-day tournament on May 24-25 at Mariah Hills Golf Course in Dodge City. The Louisburg senior made the cut with no problem as he shot on a 85 the first day to stay within striking distance.

“After making cuts and seeing my ranking, I felt happy and relieved to make it to day two and to get another round for my team,” Eberhart said. “I didn’t let myself play more freely as I wanted to give myself the best shot to move forward as I could, but there was less pressure to perform.”

On the second day, Eberhart fired an 87 to give himself a total score of 172. He finished 31st overall and finished just outside of medal contention.

“To be able to compete at state was my dream from the beginning of the season,” Eberhart said. “It makes me so proud of our team to be able to play at this tournament.”

The Wildcat team qualified for state after their third place finish at regionals, but the other five didn’t see a second day.

Junior A.J. Arriola just missed the cut with a 91. Sam Wheeler was third on the team with a 97 and Johnny Thompson shot a 106.

Jackson Olson and Dacey Wieland rounded out the Wildcat group with a 116 and 119, respectively.

Mariah Hills Golf Course provided a lot of challenges for the Wildcat golfers, none of which had played in a state tournament before this year.

“Mariah Hills was a very nice course, greens were immaculate and the fairways were tight,” Eberhart said. “The course was long but played to my strengths. It was a great course to hold state for 4A.”