Baraboo finishes fourth at Badger Large Conference tournament, Moon earns all-conference honors

Baraboo closed its Badger Large Conference season with a fourth-place finish Tuesday at Door Creek, posting a team score of 317 behind a pair of top-10 rounds from Jon Moon and Jack Brinker.

Moon and Brinker each shot 78 to tie for eighth place overall, giving the Thunderbirds their low scores on a day that tested the field despite generally solid conditions. Will Stelling followed with an 80, Cooper Jauch added an 81 and Peyton Olson carded a 91 as Baraboo held its position against a strong conference lineup in its first season in the Badger Large.

The conference race came down to the league tournament, where points counted double for both the team and individual standings. Entering the day, Baraboo sat fourth in the season points behind Oregon, Waunakee and Milton, and the Thunderbirds stayed there with Tuesday’s 317. Oregon won the tournament with a 303, followed by Milton at 307 and Waunakee at 311.

The Thunderbirds were also navigating a course they had not played in competition before. Even with ideal playing conditions, scoring across the event showed Door Creek was still a challenge. Baraboo’s lineup adjusted well, bouncing back from mis-hits and tough holes to keep rounds together, a point that stood out in the team’s finish.

Moon’s round carried added significance. He entered the final conference tournament tied for 10th in the league standings and solidified second-team all-conference honors with his 78. Brinker matched that number to give Baraboo another strong score at the top of the card, while Stelling and Jauch supplied the depth needed to keep the Thunderbirds in the upper half of the standings.

Baraboo’s fourth-place conference finish capped a strong season entering a competitive new league. The Thunderbirds now turn their attention to the WIAA tournament series, which begins next Tuesday in Sparta at River Run Golf Course.