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Darlington finishes 2nd at own meet
Darl Golf Tuescher
CHASE TUESCHER chips on the green at hole #9 during Fridays SWAL boys golf meet hosted by Darlington.
Thomas Gunnell
Updated: May 17, 2012, 2:27 PM
Published: May 17, 2012, 2:28 PM

    DARLINGTON – Senior Zach McArthur and junior Alex Schulte each fired a three-over round of 38 and the Redbirds took advantage of their familiarity with their home course to post an impressive second-place finish in the SWAL regular season finale held at the Darlington Country Club on Friday, May 11.
    McArthur and Schulte finished in a four-way tie for second-place in the individual standings behind meet medalist Josh Smith of Southwestern, who carded a three-under round of 32 to run away with top honors.
    Cuba City wrapped up a perfect regular season by nabbing their eighth first-place finish in the SWAL meets with a team score of 157. The Redbirds were just four strokes behind the Cubans with a 161 to take second for just the second time this season, while Mineral Point followed in third (168) and Southwestern took fourth (170).
    Sophomore A.J. Brandt carded a 42 and junior Chase Tuescher finished one stroke back with a 43 to complete the team scoring for the host Redbirds.
    At Lancaster, on Saturday, May 12, the small-school teams from the SWAL garnered the Southwest Cup for the first time after besting the larger SWC schools, 11-9, in the third annual competition held at the Lancaster Country Club.
    The top 30 golfers for each conference competed in Ryder Cup-like play. Matches were divided between singles play and doubles best-ball and best-shot matches. The SWAL went 7-3 in singles play and SWC went 6-4 in doubles.
    Five golfers from Darlington competed on the SWAL squad, going 1-4 on the day.
    Zach McArthur was the lone winner for the ‘Birds after defeating River Valley’s Aaron Feiner, 4-and-3; while Alex Schulte fell to Lancaster’s Nathan Farrey, 6-and-5 in the other singles match
    In a partner matches, Darlington’s A.J. Brandt and Southwestern’s Conner Kuhl fell to Platteville’s Quincy Pick and Dodgeville’s Delaney Orr, 2-and-1; Darlington’s Chase Tuescher and Argyle’s Jacob Melvin lost to Platteville’s Alex Iverson and Prairie du Chien’s Dan Adamany, 5-and-4; and Darlington’s Steven Cotter and Argyle’s Zach Schilling were beaten by Dodgeville’s Michael Digman and Lancaster’s Ryan Schauff, 5-and-4.
    Darlington opens the post-season at the WIAA Division 3 regional meet hosted by Mineral Point at the Dodge-Point Country Club on Tuesday, May 22, starting at 9 a.m. The top four teams and top four individuals not members of those teams qualify for sectional competition.

DARLINGTON SWAL MEET
Team scores: Cuba City 157, Darlington 161, Mineral Point 168, Southwestern 170, Iowa-Grant 178, Argyle/Pecatonica 181, Fennimore 199, Barneveld 217.

Meet Medalist: Smith, S, 32.

Darlington Scores: Zach McArthur 38, Alex Schulte 38, A.J. Brandt 42, Chase Tuescher 43.
At Darlington CC, par 35, on Friday, May 11
Darlington honors long-time coach Arnie Miehe
School renames cross country course after legendary coach
Arnie Miehe
Former Darlington cross country coach Arnie Miehe (left) stands as it is announced that the DHS cross country course will be renamed after him at the Darlington Invitational on Sept. 7. The years of accomplishments are displayed on the banner behind Miehe. - photo by Casey Lindecrantz
Natalie Dillon, Fox Tales
Updated: Sep 13, 2024, 4:03 PM
Published: Sep 13, 2024, 4:04 PM

DARLINGTON — At its 41st annual Darlington Invite, the cross country team honored long-time head coach Arnie Miehe by renaming the course after him.

“It’s an incredible honor,” Arnie said. “It’s very humbling. It makes me think of all the hours, days, weeks and years that went into it — all the events and kids I’ve come in contact with.”

Since taking over  the program in 1982, Arnie has had nine state championship teams — eight for the boys and one for the girls — including six consecutive boys’ titles from 2011-2016. Another 39 teams went to state — 23 for the boys and 16 for the girls. For four straight years from 1993-1996, Darlington boys were state runners-up to Cochrane-Fountain City. In this 41-year span, he’s also had numerous individual state runners.

Two of those runners were his sons, Kent and Tyson. Tyson has run in the Olympic trials, and Kent currently coaches the Redbirds cross country teams.

“The recognition needs to be spread out,” Arnie said. “It should really be named the Miehe course. My wife and kids had as much to do with the success as I did. It was an entire family effort.”

But Kent was quick to turn the recognition back to his father.

“All the success we had started here, with him,” Kent said of Darlington’s home course and the annual Invite, which Arnie had begun years ago.

Darlington kept its successful streak at home with the girls finishing runners-up to Lancaster. Adalee Berget led the squad with her third-place finish. As a team, the Lady Redbirds, ranked No. 9 in Division 3 per Week 1 of the Wisconsin Cross Country Coaches Association Poll, ran faster than the 2023 squad that finished third at state.

“We are learning what good is,” Kent said. “The returners know what it takes to be good. We have a perspective of what we are working toward. The season is far from over.”