Gardner crowned H-DNL champion after victory at Baywood

By barstoolfanatics on May 7, 2025 • ( Leave a comment )

Submitted photos – The top four in H-DNL boys this season, from left to right, Jake Gardner, Mason Alway, Dawson McWhorter and Braedon Simpson.

McKinleyville senior Jake Gardner capped a big spring in H-DNL boys golf with his third victory in six rounds on Monday.

Competing at the Baywood Golf & Country Club in Arcata, Gardner posted a round of 74 to beat the field by four strokes and capture the league championship.

The consistent senior standout, who is set to announce his college decision next week, won the league title by 10 strokes, with Arcata’s Mason Alway in second.

Fortuna’s Dawson McWhorter placed third, followed by St. Bernard’s Braedon Simpson, with four different schools represented in the top four.

Arcata’s Ryzen Miller placed fifth and helped lead the Tigers to the team championship, with Fortuna’s Robbie Shoemaker and McKinleyville’s Carter Reeves finishing sixth and seventh and rounding out the all-league spots.

Arcata won three of the six rounds in the team competition on the way to the championship.

Alway shot a 78 for the second best round of the day on Monday, followed by McWhorter with a 79, Simpson with an 80 and Shoemaker with a round of 81.

Fourteen league golfers broke 90 on the day, including Miller, who shot an 82, and Arcata teammate Lucas Wemberly, who shot an 83.

Reeves also impressed with a round of 85, while his McKinleyville teammate Morgan Zhao had a round of 87.

Eureka had a pair of golfers break 90, with Andrew Stewart leading the Loggers with a round of 86 and teammate Cole Neilson carding an 87.

South Fork’s Trevor Hunt closed out league play with a round of 88, while Fortuna’s Hunter Kelley (89) and Lucas Butler (90) each also impressed for the Huskies.

Carson Johnson also shot an 89 for St. Bernard’s.

Nicolas Jager led Del Norte with a round of 91 and Riley Baldy led Hoopa with a round of 99.