For the first time in program history, the Trenton High School boys golf team has a two-time state medalist.
Lathan Croy achieved that feat on Tuesday at the Class 2 MSHSAA Golf Championships in New Bloomfield. Croy carded an 82 in his second trip around the Meadow Lake Acres Country Club, giving him a two-day total of 157 and a sixth-place finish individually.
Croy, who placed 14th at state last season, joins Hadley Jennings (14th in 2008 and fifth in 2009) and Sarah Slonecker (13th in 1996 and seventh in 1997) from the girls program as the only Trenton golfers to place inside the Top 15 at state twice in their career.
Croy’s sixth-place finish also represents the highest finish for a Trenton boys golfer at state since 1936, when Chester Clark was second. His Top-10 finish is just the sixth for the program as he joins Clark; Jim Riggs and Joe Riggs, who tied for seventh in 1941 when Trenton won the state golf championship; Russ Wade, 10th in 1979; and Evan Fries, who was eighth in 2006.
“Lathan had an outstanding state tournament,” Trenton Coach Travis Mullenix said. “His sixth-place finish was one of the best in school history. He’s worked hard to accomplish this and is very deserving to be mentioned as one of the best golfers in the history of Trenton High School. I’m honored to have been his coach the last four years and will definitely miss him.”
After an opening round 75, Croy slid back a bit on day two, carding an 82. The two-day total placed him sixth in a field of 90 golfers.
“I had no idea until after my round on day two,” Croy said of the school history he made. “The two rounds were kind of polar opposites. On the first day everything kind of went my way. Day two was definitely more of a grind-it-out type day. I just tried to enjoy it, though and take it all in because it was my last walk as a Trenton Bulldog. My goal going in was to improve on my 14th-place finish last year and I was able to do that, so I was definitely happy with the sixth-place finish.”
LeBlond ran away with the Class 2 state championship, carding a team score of 599, 66 strokes better than runner-up Christian High School (665). Palmyra was third with a 696.
LeBlond golfers swept the podium individually as Brooks Jungbluth used a second-day 66 to claim the individual state championship with a score of 137. His teammates Hank Lierz (140) and Jeffrey Johnston (148) placed second and third respectively and Palmyra’s Laithan Sublette was fourth with a score of 152. Gunner Stugart rounded out the top-five, finishing just ahead of Croy with a 155.
“(Lathan) wasn’t too happy with his score on Tuesday, but it’s a two day tournament and the total is what matters,” Mullenix said. “His 157 is a great score and he should be very proud of what he was able to do. Lathan is a great kid, a great golfer and an outstanding role model. He has represented Trenton High School very well throughout his career.”
With the conclusion of the state tournament, Croy’s decorated athletic career at Trenton High School came to a close. During his senior season, Croy achieved the very rare feat of making all-district in three sports. He was an all-district selection in football in the fall, basketball in the winter and golf in the spring. He will continue his golf career at North Central Missouri College, enrolling at the school this fall.
“It was a tough decision deciding what I was going to do – ultimately choosing between golf and football,” Croy said. “After the way this season has gone, though I definitely feel like I made the right decision. I am very excited to get the opportunity to work with coach (Craig) Sager and all of those guys.”