Free State sophomore Jack Randall overcame a difficult day off the tee to shoot a 3-over-par 75 at Rolling Meadows Golf Course in Milford on Monday to finish second in one of four Class 6A boys golf regionals.

His performance helped the Firebirds finish third, which means they will be one of 12 teams competing at the Class 6A championships next week at Mariah Hills Golf Course in Dodge City.

Randall, a sophomore, finished behind only Manhattan High freshman Tate Reid, who was 2-over on the 6,879-yard course.

“I was very proud of the way that I was able to scramble,” Randall said. “I only hit one fairway the entire day and I was able to muster a 75 out of that, so I would say my scrambling and my mental toughness along with that would stand out.”

Free State shot a collective 338 to finish 27 strokes behind first-place Manhattan High and 17 strokes behind Topeka-Washburn Rural. Seven schools competed at Rolling Meadows.

Randall, who won a Class 6A regional held at Topeka Country Club a year ago, offset a bogey on the second hole with a birdie on a third. He then bogeyed the fifth hole, had a double bogey on ninth and bogeyed the 10th, a 475-yard par 5, but finished by mixing in a pair of birdies and a bogey over the final eight holes.

“Jack grinded out a good score,” said coach Chuck Law. “He didn’t necessarily have his ‘A’ game today, but he really competed hard to come in with a 75 and take second place at the regional, and that just shows you what kind of player he is. He hasn’t had his ‘A’ game really in any tournament all year, so we’re just hoping that it’s starting to come together here at the end of the season and he can go out and play well next week in Dodge City.”

Free State freshman Aiden Graff-Hannah finished 14th with an 84, senior Dawson Pfannenstiel was 15th with an 85, senior Isaac Gonzales and freshman Adam Hemker tied for 20th with a 94 and junior Jackson Lintecum was tied for 22nd with a 95.

“I came out today and I was like, ‘I just want to get the boys to state with me,'” said Randall, who finished in a tie for eighth at the Class 6A championship last year. “That was what I was worried about today. Obviously, I got second as an individual, and that’s great, but the more important stuff was the team.”

Lawrence High, meanwhile, will compete in its Class 6A regional Tuesday at Falcon Lakes in Basehor. The other two Class 6A regionals were held Monday at Ironhorse Golf Club in Leawood and Terradyne Country Club in Andover.

In Class 4A, Tonganoxie High senior Andrew Willson shot a 2-over-par 72 to finish first at Wamego Country Club. Junior Remi Baldock shot an 83 to tie for ninth and sophomore Colten Brusven tied for 15th with an 87 for Tonganoxie High, which finished third and will compete in the Class 4A championship at Sand Creek Golf Club in Newton.

And in Class 2A, senior Will Hedges shot a 4-over-par 76 to finish in second, five strokes behind St. Mary’s Colgan senior Nick Ison, to lead Bishop Seabury to a first-place finish in its regional at Crestwood Country Club in Pittsburg. The Seahawks will compete next week at the Class 2A championship at Emporia Municipal Golf Course.

The state championships are a two-day, 36-hole event in which the top six teams after the first day qualify to play a second round. The top 15 individuals on teams not finishing in the top six will join them.