Keaton Reagan earned another all-Eastern Missouri Conference medal on April 24.

This time, it was a first-place medal.

The Montgomery County senior won the individual championship of the nine-team conference tournament at Sun Valley Golf Course in Elsberry after shooting an 18-hole score of 13-over-84. Reagan was tied for first with Bowling Green’s Kaden Klocke and Silex’s Carter Johnston, but was awarded the title on a scorecard playoff.

Just two days before, Reagan was crowned MCHS’ prom king. He said he was thrilled that he was the Eastern Missouri Conference golf king in his final year with the Wildcats.

“I was really hoping to win this because I wanted to go out with a bang,” Reagan said. “Hopefully, districts will be the same way. Afterwards, it will be state.”

Reagan’s effort didn’t help the Wildcats win their third straight EMO championship. MCHS placed second with a four-player score of 377. Bowling Green won the team championship with a 372.

“I was upset that we didn’t win it,” Reagan said. “We came pretty close. We played pretty well, but it just didn’t go our way. I still got first overall, so I was pretty happy.”

Three other Wildcats earned all-conference honors. Junior Robby Rodgers placed sixth with a 93, senior Alex Hartman came in 12th with a 98 and senior Garrett Banks finished 14th with a 102. Rodgers and Hartman received all-conference awards for the second year in a row, while Banks was named on the all-EMO team for the first time. The top 15 finishers earn all-conference honors.

First-year MCHS coach Cody Hasekamp said he was pleased with his team’s effort even though it didn’t win the conference championship.

“It stinks that we couldn’t get the job done,” Hasekamp said. “But I didn’t want to take away anything from the four of my kids who were all-conference athletes, some of them for the first time in their careers. Yes, there were shots that we left out there, but we can’t take anything away from the hard work that these kids put in all year long.”

Reagan earned all-league honors for the third year in row. He finished ninth as a sophomore and seventh last year.

Reagan won the EMO championship by shooting a 42 in the front and back nines and finishing with eight pars.

“We all knew that he would do it,” Rodgers said. “But just to see him do it, it’s really cool to watch a teammate win. It’s a good feeling.”

Reagan had a chance to win the tournament outright in the 18th and final hole, but he bogeyed to finish in a tie with Klocke and Johnston.

“It shouldn’t have come down to the scorecard playoff,” Hasekamp said. “He left some shots out there that should’ve made it a no-doubter. But he still had the perseverance to come in the back nine and shoot such a great round. He’s been doing it for me all year. I shouldn’t have expected anything less out of him because he’s always been my closer. He always finishes well.”

The EMO championship gave Reagan a boost of confidence for the postseason. The Wildcats will compete in the Class 2, District 2 tournament on May 8 at Norwoods Golf Club in Hannibal for a chance to qualify for the state tournament, which is scheduled for May 15-16 at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield.

“It will motivate me to shoot a lot better than an 84, honestly,” Reagan said. “They’re going to be some bigger schools than Bowling Green out there and they’re going to come shoot in the 340s and 350s. We just have to play a whole lot better to have a chance to go.”