DARLINGTON – Senior Zach McArthur and junior Alex Schulte each fired a three-over round of 38 and the Redbirds took advantage of their familiarity with their home course to post an impressive second-place finish in the SWAL regular season finale held at the Darlington Country Club on Friday, May 11.
    McArthur and Schulte finished in a four-way tie for second-place in the individual standings behind meet medalist Josh Smith of Southwestern, who carded a three-under round of 32 to run away with top honors.
    Cuba City wrapped up a perfect regular season by nabbing their eighth first-place finish in the SWAL meets with a team score of 157. The Redbirds were just four strokes behind the Cubans with a 161 to take second for just the second time this season, while Mineral Point followed in third (168) and Southwestern took fourth (170).
    Sophomore A.J. Brandt carded a 42 and junior Chase Tuescher finished one stroke back with a 43 to complete the team scoring for the host Redbirds.
    At Lancaster, on Saturday, May 12, the small-school teams from the SWAL garnered the Southwest Cup for the first time after besting the larger SWC schools, 11-9, in the third annual competition held at the Lancaster Country Club.
    The top 30 golfers for each conference competed in Ryder Cup-like play. Matches were divided between singles play and doubles best-ball and best-shot matches. The SWAL went 7-3 in singles play and SWC went 6-4 in doubles.
    Five golfers from Darlington competed on the SWAL squad, going 1-4 on the day.
    Zach McArthur was the lone winner for the ‘Birds after defeating River Valley’s Aaron Feiner, 4-and-3; while Alex Schulte fell to Lancaster’s Nathan Farrey, 6-and-5 in the other singles match
    In a partner matches, Darlington’s A.J. Brandt and Southwestern’s Conner Kuhl fell to Platteville’s Quincy Pick and Dodgeville’s Delaney Orr, 2-and-1; Darlington’s Chase Tuescher and Argyle’s Jacob Melvin lost to Platteville’s Alex Iverson and Prairie du Chien’s Dan Adamany, 5-and-4; and Darlington’s Steven Cotter and Argyle’s Zach Schilling were beaten by Dodgeville’s Michael Digman and Lancaster’s Ryan Schauff, 5-and-4.
    Darlington opens the post-season at the WIAA Division 3 regional meet hosted by Mineral Point at the Dodge-Point Country Club on Tuesday, May 22, starting at 9 a.m. The top four teams and top four individuals not members of those teams qualify for sectional competition.

DARLINGTON SWAL MEET
Team scores: Cuba City 157, Darlington 161, Mineral Point 168, Southwestern 170, Iowa-Grant 178, Argyle/Pecatonica 181, Fennimore 199, Barneveld 217.

Meet Medalist: Smith, S, 32.

Darlington Scores: Zach McArthur 38, Alex Schulte 38, A.J. Brandt 42, Chase Tuescher 43.
At Darlington CC, par 35, on Friday, May 11