The third try at sectionals was a charm for golfer Braden Mueller.
The Shawano Community High School junior came in third with a round of 76 Wednesday at the WIAA Division 1 sectional at Thornberry Creek at Oneida.
The score was good enough to earn Mueller a berth in next week’s state tournament.
“He was just playing fantastic,” Shawano coach Dean Kugler said. “I mean, wow! He really played well.”
Mueller, who qualified for sectionals in his freshman and sophomore years, was the second individual state qualifier behind Austin Elsner, of New London, who tied Green Bay Notre Dame’s Robert Petitjean for medalist honors with a 75.
“He was playing pretty relaxed,” Kugler said. “We knew he was right around the number he needed to be at. For me, I knew he was going to play well when I saw the first hole, which was eating everyone up.”
While many golfers struggled with the hole, Mueller managed a par four.
Mueller and Elsner both scored 38 on the front nine.
Mueller is the first SCHS boys golfer to reach the state tournament since Adam Austreng in 2005.
Mueller will compete at the state meet Monday and Tuesday at University Ridge Golf Course in Madison.
“He’s wanted this for a while,” Kugler said, “probably since his freshman year.”
Shawano, which qualified for sectionals as a team for the second year in a row, placed seventh with a team score of 361. Notre Dame won with a score of 310, followed by Appleton East (326) and Pulaski (336).
“We’re competing against Pulaski, Appleton East, Notre Dame, these are bigger schools than us,” Kugler said. “We did OK. At least we went two years in a row, that’s a good accomplishment. “
Ian Lewis, who like Mueller earned first-team All-Bay Conference honors this season, finished 24th overall, carding 87. Garret Schlise and Cole Huntington each came in at 99, and Ryan Hoffman shot 103.
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