Last weekend the Van Buren boys’ golf team made their fourth consecutive appearance at the OHSAA State Golf Tournament two-day event. They finished 11th out of 12 teams. Sawyer Junge led the VB team with a 90 the first day and an 83 the second day; Mac Williams followed with an 86 and a 91; Jimmy Irving scored a 91 and a 90; Zach Hiris recorded a 89 and a 95; and Cole Olrich ended with a 96 and a 94, resulting in a team total of 714 after both days.

This was four of the five varsity players’ last time competing as a black knight golfer. When asked about the most memorable moment of this season, Junge, looking around at his teammates said, "I'd say right now, I wouldn't have wanted this season to end any better.” Holding back tears, he continued to explain how much his team and coach mean to him, ”I really appreciate everything Coach Heitkamp has done for us." Junge is one of the rare few athletes in Van Buren history to make a four-time appearance at state throughout his entire high school career.

The boys are not the only ones who are sad about the season coming to an end. Coach Heitkamp got teary-eyed when he described his boys, "This is emotional for me. These are kids I spend a lot of time with, and really this is a family to me as much as anything else.”

Although the state tournament is over, this has been an unforgettable season for the boys that has forged unbreakable bonds.