All-Metro boys golf team: Who the Wichita Eagle picked as top players from 2022 season
The Wichita area featured some of the best high school boys golfers in Kansas this season and that star power is highlighted on The Wichita Eagle’s 2022 All-Metro boys golf team.
The All-Metro squad consists of six of the top golfers and a top coach from Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties, based on season-long performance with an emphasis on postseason finishes.
Bishop Carroll junior Noah Holtzman, the City League champion who also won the Class 5A individual state championship, earned the nod for Golfer of the Year honors on the All-Metro team. Below is the full team:
2022 Wichita Eagle All-Metro boys golf team
Conner Geist, Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior
After returning from an injury that ended his sophomore season, Geist showed what he could do when fully healthy as a junior. He immediately formed one of the most potent 1-2 punches in the state with Asher Whitaker, which powered Kapaun to its second straight Class 5A team championship. He finished in a tie for second place at the state tournament and finished with one of the top scoring averages in the area at 74.3. He notched eight top-5 finishes in 11 starts, including victories at the Spartan Classic on April 14 and a City League meet at Tex Consolver on April 25.
James Hill, Andover senior
May brought out some of the best golf in Hill, a Washburn signee. After shooting a season-low round of 68 to win the I-135 Shootout in Hesston, he notched top-7 finishes at league and regionals before firing a round of 73 to finish in a tie for fourth place at the Class 5A state tournament. Hill carried a scoring average of 75.0 in his senior season, as he notched top-10 finishes in all 10 of his starts.
Noah Holtzman, Bishop Carroll junior
After earning a reputation as one of the top amateur golfers in Kansas on the summer circuit, Holtzman delivered a truly memorable junior season that culminated in a Class 5A individual state championship. He won five of his eight starts on the season, including a City League gold medal that propelled Carroll to a stunning upset over Kapaun to win the City League team title. On top of his two postseason victories, Holtzman strung together three consecutive tournament titles in April at the Newton Invitational, a City League meet at MacDonald and the Dodge City Invitational to finish with a scoring average of 72.8 strokes.
Kyle Kasitz, Maize South senior
Few golfers were more consistently near the top of the leaderboard than Kasitz, who notched three straight top-5 finishes in the postseason. He won the AV-CTL Div. I individual championship to help lead Maize South to a team title, then followed that up with a top-5 finish at regionals and then a fourth-place finish at the Class 5A state tournament with a round of 73. Kasitz, who has signed with NAIA’s Taylor (Ind.) University, finished his career as a state qualifier in all three possible years and with the third-best scoring average (73.9) in the area.
Harrison Middleton, Cheney senior
No one had a better May than Middleton, who won all six of his starts and finished his senior season with a sweep of championships in the Central Plains League, at regionals and then at the Class 3A state tournament in Salina. He never shot higher than 77 once the final month of the season rolled around, as he also claimed titles on his home course in Cheney and in both rounds of Marion’s 36-hole Invitational. Middleton, who has signed with Friends, finished his career as a state qualifier in all three possible years and a three-time state medalist, including a 19th-place finish in 2019 and a third-place finish in 2021.
Asher Whitaker, Kapaun Mt. Carmel sophomore
It would be difficult to find someone who was more consistently great than Whitaker, who sealed his status as one of the top amateur golfers in the state. Not only did he win four of his seven starts this season, including winning a regional individual championship, Whitaker broke 70 in four of his seven starts this season and finished with the best scoring average (70.4 strokes) by far in the area. He won his first three meets of the season at Rolling Hills, Crestview Country Club and Tex Consolver, then finished either second or first in all three postseason tournaments, including a runner-up finish with a round of 72 at the Class 5A state tournament that helped Kapaun win its second straight team championship.
Grady Pauls, Hesston coach
For the first time since 2005, Hesston found its way back atop the state tournament to win the Class 3A team state championship in Salina. With rain canceling Day 2, Hesston’s team score of 319 strokes, its second-lowest score of the season, proved to be two strokes better than the field to claim the program’s 10th state championship. The Swathers were led by sophomore Camden Waterson, who finished runner-up individually with a round of 69, and seniors Ty Schroeder and Jace Regier, who both notched top-25 finishes. Other team members included junior Eric Schmidt, sophomore Palmer Welsh and freshman Grant Waterson.
Wichita All-Metro second team
Jaydon Carruthers, Derby sophomore
Emery Kaylor, Eisenhower senior
Aidan Nguyen, Andover freshman
Quaid Oliver, Kapaun Mt. Carmel junior
Noah Pirtle, Kapaun Mt. Carmel sophomore
Camden Waterson, Hesston sophomore
Carson Wright, Eisenhower junior
Cliff Hartzog, Eisenhower coach
Wichita All-Metro third team
Chadd Brown, Augusta senior
Tyler Hardtafer, Eisenhower sophomore
Colby Hays, Bishop Carroll junior
Stu Jones, Maize junior
Brody Scafe, Eisenhower sophomore
Cal Schultz, Andover Central sophomore
Grant Waggoner, Maize South junior
Corey Novascone, Kapaun Mt. Carmel coach
This story was originally published June 17, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
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