Three Bluejay golfers earn all-conference honors

After a nice season when the Three Lakes-Phelps varsity golf team had a second-place Northern Lakes Conference finish, three golfers were recently selected to the all-conference team. 

Specifically, Grayson Polcaster was named to the first team while Levi Lurvey and Sean Wallschlaeger made the second team. This is the second consecutive first-team selection for Polcaster, while Lurvey and Wallschlaeger are first-time honorees.

Unlike other team sports where the coaches in the conference select players for the end-of-season honors, golf selections are based on the collection of individual scores of select conference matches throughout the year. Polcaster was in the fifth position last season and jumped to the second position this year with an average finish just two strokes short of Reid Votis, the top golfer in the conference from Crandon. It was the second straight top finish for Votis.  

Michele Brown is the head coach for the varsity team and was pleased with the steady progress that Polcaster has made since last year.  

“Grayson really had a great year. This was his team to lead, and he did a great job of that.  He was our top player and finished in the top five at each match, including at the conference match at Bass Lake, where he shot a 76 and tied for a first-place finish,” she said. “This kid really worked hard on his game and puts in the practice to get his great results.  While he came up just short of the top spot in the conference this year, I expect him to be pushing for it again in his senior season.”  Polcaster had several rounds breaking 80 and came within four strokes at the WIAA Division 3 Sectional of earning a place at the individual state championship tournament in Madison.    

Lurvey and Wallschlaeger each finished the year in the top 10 of the conference, with Lurvey taking the seventh spot on the list.  Lurvey was on the team last year but, like Polcaster, moved up to a leadership role on the team.  His performance was steady this season with highlights that included shooting a 79 at Nicolet Country Club and an 83 at the WIAA Division 3 Regional championship event.   

According to Brown, Lurvey will likely advance to a first-team golfer next season as his game has steadily improved, and like Polcaster, should be a positive influence on the younger golfers. 

“Levi showed leadership at our final regular season match,” she added, “by staying focused and grabbing a second-place finish at Northwood Golf Club in Rhinelander.”

Wallschlaeger ranked within two strokes of Lurvey to take the final spot on the all-conference team.  He had several events with scores in the 80s and had a nice freshman season with the team.  After the conference announcements were made, Brown said, “Sean was a nice surprise this year,” adding that he was very poised for a first-year varsity golfer who remained composed even during periods in which he struggled.  “He just kept moving forward and ultimately found ways to succeed.”

Two other players on the varsity team just missed placements for all-conference designations, as freshman Jack Westfall and junior Matthew Klein landed in the 11th spot and the 13th spot on the list of top golfers in the conference.  Even so, Brown said it will be a nice luxury next year to have a full team with such an extensive level of varsity experience to start a new season.