The Lancaster varsity golf team has put itself in outstanding position to win this year’s Southwest Wisconsin Conference title, and holds a decisive four-point lead over second-place River Valley heading into Wednesday’s conference meet.

The Flying Arrows have finished first in five of their six conference meets this season, and took second to River Valley in the other by one stroke.

Going into Wednesday’s conference meet at the Viroqua Country Club, Lancaster has 35 conference points to River Valley’s 31. If the Arrows can manage a first or second-place finish, the title is theirs.

Last Tuesday evening at the Platteville Country Club, the Lancaster boys took top honor with a score of 159.

Junior Zach Hentrich took medalist honors with a one-over-par round of 38, while senior teammate John VanDeHey and sophomore Andrew Gates tied for second place with a 39.

Rounding out Lancaster’s scores was sophomore Nathan Farrey with a 43 and senior Connor Flynn with a 47.

The Arrows then traveled to the House on the Rock Resort in Spring Green last Thursday, where they posted a team score of 156 to beat the host Blackhawks by seven strokes on their home course.

In a downpour for most of the meet, Hentrich managed to take medalist honors with an even-par-round of 36.

Again taking second was Gates, who shot a 39, while Flynn finished with a 40, Farrey a 41 and VanDeHey a 43.

This past Monday evening at the Quail Run Golf Course in Richland Center, the Arrows put together their best team performance of the season, shooting an amazing 154. River Valley again came in second, this time with a 159.

It was Hentrich and Farrey sharing medalist honors on Monday, both with an impressive one-over-par round of 36.

Gates came in with a 39, while VanDeHey shot a 44 and Flynn a 47.

After six conference meets completed, the Arrows hold three of the top five spots in the leagues individual standings, and have all five golfers among the top 11 in the conference.

The top spot belongs to Hentrich, who currently has a nine-hole scoring average of 37.5 and 149 conference points

The second spot belongs to Gates, who has a scoring average of 39.2 and 140.5 conference points.

After Monday’s performance at Richland Center, Farrey moved into a tie for the fifth spot, and now has a scoring average of 41.3 and 121.5 conference points.

Right behind him is VanDeHey in seventh place with a scoring average of 40.8 and 121 points.

Flynn, sits in 11th place of 29 golfers, with a scoring average of 45.7 and 85 conference points.

In other action this past week, Lancaster participated in the Reedsburg Invite last Friday, where they placed fifth of 19 teams with a score of 325.

Also in the field was Osseo-Fairchild, who finished second at last year’s D3 state tournament, but ended up 49 strokes behind the Arrows on Friday.

Leading Lancaster with a five-over-par round of 77 was Hentrich, while Farrey shot an 81, Gates an 82 and VanDeHey an 85.

On Saturday, Lancaster hosted the Fourth Annual Southwest Cup, where the SWC defeated the SWAL, 10.5 to 5.5.

Golfing in the top group, Hentrich defeated Southwestern’s Josh Smith, 2 and 1, while Gates lost to Cuba City’s Alex Stewart, 2 and 1, in match play.

Also in match play, VanDeHey lost to Iowa-Grant’s Derek Peat, 1-up, while Farrey defeated Southwestern’s Calub Heileman, 5 and 4.

In best-ball competition, Flynn teamed up with Prairie du Chien’s John David, and finished even with Southwestern’s Alex Schmieder and Argyle’s Mitchell Steiner.

Following this past Wednesday’s conference meet, the Arrows will embark on their quest to state next Tuesday at the D3 Southwestern Regional held at the Galena Golf Course.

SWC Meet
(from Tuesday, May 7, at the Platteville Country Club, par 37)
Team scores - 1. Lancaster 159; 2. River Valley 165; 3. Dodgeville 181; 4. Prairie du Chien 196; 5. Platteville 198. Richland Center incomplete.
Medalst - Zach Hentrich (Lancaster) 38.
Lancaster - Zach Hentrich 38, John VanDeHey 39, Andrew Gates 39, Nathan Farrey 43, Connor Flynn 47.

SWC Meet
(from Thursday, May 9, at the House on the Rock Resort, par 36)
Team scores - 1. Lancaster 156; 2. River Valley 163; 3. Dodgeville 176; 4. Prairie du Chien 185; 5. Platteville 89. Richland Center incomplete.
Medalist - Zach Hentrich (Lancaster) 36.
Lancaster - Zach Hentrich 36, Andrew Gates 39, Connor Flynn 40, Nathan Farrey 41, John VanDeHey 43.

Reedsburg Invite
(from Friday, May 10, at the Reedsburg Country Club, par 72)
Team scores - 1. Holmen 315; 2. Sauk Prairie 317; 3. Waunakee 320; 4. Tomah 322; 5. Lancaster 325; 6. Mount Horeb 339; 7. (tie) Portage 346, Fort Atkinson 346; 9. Baraboo 348; 10. La Crosse Central 350; 11. Reedsburg 360; 12. Dodgeville 361; 13. Osseo-Fairchild 374; 14. Prairie du Chien 374; 15. Lakeside Lutheran 382; 16. Sparta 393; 17. Mauston 413; 18. Nekoosa 428; 19. Wisconsin Heights 469.
Medalist - Budd (Sauk Prairie) 70.
Lancaster - Zach Hentrich 77, Nathan Farrey 81, Andrew Gates 82, John VanDeHey 85.

Southwest Cup
(from Saturday, May 11, at the Lancaster Municipal Golf Course, par 72)
Teams scores - SWC 10.5, SWAL 5.5
Match Play
1. Zach Hentrich (Lancaster) def. Josh Smith (Southwestern) 2 and 1.
2. Alex Stewart (Cuba City) def. Andrew Gates (Lancaster) 2 and 1.
3. Chris Severson (Argyle) def. Chapin Orr (Dodgeville) 2-up.
4. Derek Peat (Iowa-Grant) def. John VanDeHey (Lancaster) 1-up.
5. Alex Wedige (River Valley) def. Drew Zimmerman (Cuba City) 4 and 2.
6. Aaron Feiner (River Valley) def. Alex Schulte (Darlington) 8 and 6.
7. Nathan Farrey (Lancaster) def. Calub Heileman (Southwestern) 5 and 4.
8. Josh Beck (Platteville) def. A.J. Brandt (Darlington) 3 and 2.
Best Ball
Connor Flynn (Lancaster) and John David (Prairie du Chien) drew with Alex Schmieder (Southwestern) and Mitchell Steiner (Argyle).
Jacob Melvin (Argyle) and A.J. Bandyk (Mineral Point) def. Nate Hottmann (Dodgeville) and Steven Stadler (Dodgeville) 3 and 2.
Beau Solomon (River Valley) and Everett Ellingson (Platteville) def. Cory Kaiser (Cuba City) and Zach Schilling (Argyle) 5 and 4.
Kory Beerkircher (Dodgeville) and Nate Stram (Prairie du Chien) def. Brett Wunderlin (Iowa-Grant) and Will Kudronowicz (Cuba City) 3 and 2.
Best Shot
Jordan Jenks (Iowa-Grant) and Chase Tuescher (Darlington) def. Garret Schiltz (Dodgeville) and Hayden Ring (River Valley) 2 and 1.
Colton Barto (Richland Center) and Dan Adamany (Prairie du Chien) def. Logan Bomkamp (Iowa-Grant) and Niko Hagen (Mineral Point) 4 and 3.
Nick Tashner (Platteville) and Alex Schifflet (River Valley) def. Dakota Carden (Barneveld) and Tanner Sullivan (Barneveld) 3 and 2.
Pierce Lach (Prairie du Chien) and Justin Panka (Prairie du Chien) def. Steve Cotter (Darlington) and Darrien Denure (Argyle) 3 and 1.

SWC Meet
(from Monday, May 13, at Quail Run in Richland Center, par 35)
Team scores - 1. Lancaster 154; 2. River Valley 159; 3. (tie) Dodgeville 172, Prairie du Chien 172; 5. Platteville 188. Richland Center incomplete.
Medalist - Zach Hentrich (Lancaster) 36, Nathan Farrey (Lancaster) 36.
Lancaster - Zach Hentrich 36, Nathan Farrey 36, Andrew Gates 38, John VanDeHey 44, Connor Flynn 47.