The Knoxville boys golf team was unable to maintain their momentum from districts on Tuesday, as they opened the Class 3A State Golf Meet in Cedar Falls in 11th place.

The Panthers recorded a team score of 324 on the day, while Waverly-Shell Rock jumped out to the early lead with a 291. Grant Gerdes and Luke Roozeboom led the way for Knoxville through the first 18 holes of action, with each shooting a seven-over-par 79 to finish the opening day in a six-way tie for 39th. Mikey DeVos ended the day with an 82 to tie for 57th, while Brady Roozeboom completed the team scoring with an 84 to stand in a tie for 67th. Urban Ziller and Hayden Keefer rounded out the lineup for the Panthers, shooting an 85 and 95 respectively. Luke Roozeboom said he struggled with consistency to start holes, but added that he is confident that things will turn around today.

“My driver was a little erratic today, and finding the middle of the fairway is gonna give me the opportunity to score more. I didn’t give myself a lot of chances to score today. I had probably six pars in a row, and turning one or two of those into birdies will help a lot.”

Hear more from Gerdes and Luke Roozeboom on Today’s Lely Radio Sports Page. Knoxville will look to finish the tournament strong today, with the first tee times scheduled for 9 am.