Highlighted by a balanced and competitive roster, the 2022 Norwalk boys golf team put together a solid fall season that ended just six strokes shy of a state tournament berth.

The Warriors played in 11 tournaments, capped by their sixth-place effort and 308 team score in the Class 4A District Tournament held October 4 at Council Bluffs’ Bent Tree Golf Club. Senior Ryan Jermier and sophomore Brady Sigrist both carded district rounds of 74 and finished a single shot from state meet contention.

Norwalk coach Steve Wermerskirchen says the team took a different physical and mental approach preparing for this year’s district tournament, and he was pleased with the improvement in how they finished off the season. Wermerskirchen also liked the overall balance of the varsity squad and noted that many personal and team goals were accomplished.

“As a coach, I think the highlight was that we had every single person – one through six – (lead) the team at some point with a round in the mid 70s or low 70s, so that was really encouraging,” Wermerskirchen said. “That’s why I knew we had a good shot going into regionals because we had some pretty good depth. It showed up, we just fell a little bit short.”

Facing some of the best teams in Class 4A throughout a consistently tough schedule, the Warriors earned a second-place plaque at the Ottumwa Invite and placed second out of three teams in the Little Hawkeye Conference Fall Classic with a 304 score. They placed third at the Marshalltown Bobcat Joe August Invitational, also shooting 304.

Wermerskirchen was proud of Norwalk’s four seniors – Cael Sherwood, Braden Nicholson, Ryan Jermier and Kasey Ludlow – for their leadership and commitment to the program. Sherwood, Nicholson, sophomore Grady Sigrist and Jermier finished with the team’s top season averages, all scoring between 78.5 and 80.1.