Junior Colby Yates shot a 75 for the third-best individual score at Cypress Ridge Golf Course, but the Chieftains took sixth place as a team, finishing 31 strokes behind tournament champ Piper.

THS coach Jared Jackson called the sixth-place finish a little disappointing, but pointed out that the teams that finished ahead of Tonganoxie — Piper, Christ Prep, Ottawa, Topeka-Hayden and Kansas City Christian — are high-quality, state-level teams.

“Right now we need to focus on ourselves and ultimately the results will take care of themselves,” Jackson said. “I feel like we are making progress and think we have a chance to peak at the right time.”

Part of what is holding THS back, the team’s coach said, is some inconsistent play out of its No. 3, 4 and 5 golfers.

“That inconsistency has been from hole to hole and round to round,” Jackson said. “They have all been working since the beginning of the year with some swing changes and right now they haven’t had enough repetitions to groove the swing for an entire round.”

The Chieftains’ top two golfers — Yates and freshman Drew Sandburg, who posted an 86 on Tuesday — haven’t made any changes in their swings, Jackson said, and that has allowed them to be more consistent.

At the Hayden Invite, Kody Campbell finished at 92, Tanner Hale shot 93, Aaron Williams had a 95 and Tyler Hall was at 105.

Their coach said if the golfers keep working on their new swings, their play will come more naturally on the course.

“We really need to put in some quality range work over the next few weeks so we turn the thinking switch off at the end of the season,” Jackson said.

Tonganoxie will be back on the course beginning at 8 a.m. Thursday at Spring Hill. Jackson said it will be another tough field.

Hayden Invite

Tuesday at Cypress Ridge Golf Course, Topeka

Team scores: 1. Piper, 315; 2. Christ Prep, 322; 3. Ottawa, 327; 4. Topeka-Hayden (Blue), 330; 5. Kansas City Christian, 335; 6. Tonganoxie, 346; 7. Holton, 347; 8. De Soto, 361; 9. Basehor-Linwood, 378; 10. Mill Valley, 381; 11. Topeka-Hayden (Gold); 391; 12. Lansing, 433.

THS results: 3. Colby Yates, 75; Drew Sandburg, 86; Kody Campbell, 92; Tanner Hale, 93; Aaron Williams, 95; Tyler Hall, 105.