Baraboo posts strong showing in Wild Rock Cup match-play event

Baraboo turned in a strong day Monday at the Wild Rock Cup Match Play in Wisconsin Dells, collecting points across all three of its two-man matches in a Ryder Cup-style format featuring former South Central Conference programs.

The Thunderbirds were part of a field that included Baraboo, Portage, Sauk Prairie, Reedsburg and Westfield at Wild Rock Golf Club. Wisconsin Dells is usually part of the event as well, but had a schedule conflict, according to team notes. The format gave players a different kind of test, with each pairing competing in three separate match-play contests rather than a traditional stroke-play round.

Baraboo's biggest point haul came from Finnley Schindler and Will Stelling, who delivered the most decisive performance of the day against a Portage pairing. Schindler and Stelling won all three matches in their grouping, earning four points for the Thunderbirds and giving Baraboo an early foundation in the team standings.

Cooper Jauch and Peyton Olson also produced a productive round for Baraboo against Sauk Prairie. Their match stayed competitive throughout, but the Thunderbird duo claimed two of the three individual matches and finished with three team points. Jack Brinker and Jon Moon added another point in a back-and-forth pairing against Reedsburg, a result that reflected the tight nature of much of the afternoon's play.

Conditions added another layer to the event, though the weather cooperated enough for the round to unfold without major interruption. Team notes said players were able to dodge most of the rain, and the wind eased as the afternoon moved along. That allowed the match-play format to take center stage, with each hole carrying added importance and momentum shifting from one pairing to the next.

For Baraboo, the day offered both a competitive result and a change of pace from the usual tournament setup. With three pairings all contributing points, the Thunderbirds showed balance in a format built on head-to-head swings and timely holes, and Schindler and Stelling's sweep against Portage stood as the clearest highlight by the end of the round.