Over the past decade, the Gilbert boys golf program has put together some elite performers under coach Holly Lester.
Former UNI Panther Tommy Doyle was a 2017 Class 3A individual state champion. Spencer Clatt, Sawyer Hansen, Joey Currans, Zachary Wilson, and current Missouri Tiger Brock Snyder helped Gilbert win back-to-back team titles in 2021 and 2022, and all were top-10 individual performers at some point in their careers.
Last season, Ryan Lynch placed second individually at the state meet, losing to Nevada’s Parker Rodgers by one stroke.
Johnathan Bouska is taking over the mantle for the Tigers in 2026.
“We’ve had a lot of good players come through here,” Bouska said. “I’m really trying to continue it for them and keep it going.”
Last year as a freshman, he placed ninth individually at the state meet, ranking second on the team behind Lynch with a 2-over par 36-hole score of 146.
Bouska was 2 over during the first 18 holes of the 2025 state meet. He then shaved two strokes off that score on Day 2, finishing with an even par 72 to earn a top-10 finish.
That performance carried over into the offseason. He spent a lot of time working on his putting and striking on golf simulators until he could get outside in the spring.
“My ball striking has gotten a lot better,” Bouska said. “Distance, I’ve gotten a lot longer. Even my putting has been better than last year.”
He instantly saw the results of his hard work at the start of the 2026 season.
Bouska shot a 3-under 67 over 18 holes at the Ames Golf and Country Club to place first individually during Gilbert’s opening dual loss to Adel-Desoto-Minburn on April 6. Three days later, he won medalist honors once again at the Pella Invitational by carding a 1-over 73 at the Bos Landen Golf Course in Pella.
On April 13, Bouska turned in his best performance of the season. He shot a 7-under 18-hole round of 64 during the Bondurant-Farrar Invitational.
That score is the second-lowest among 3A golfers so far this spring, trailing only the 62 shot by Decorah’s Jacob Stevens at the Winneshiek County boys golf triangular on April 21.
He kept going strong over the next week.
On April 17, Bouska finished fourth on the first day of competition at the Dutch Masters in Pella with a 2-over 74. The next day, he shot a 4-over 76 to take first by four strokes.
Bouska took first at the Des Moines Invitational on April 20 with an even par 72. He tied for first on the boys side at the Witmer-Dunphy Co-Ed Invitational on April 27 at the Perry Golf and Country Club and then shared the top score again at the Lynx Golf Tournament on April 30 in Webster City with a 3-over 75.
“He really kicked it in gear at the start of the season,” Lester said. “He is such a hard worker, and he encourages everybody else to work as hard as he does. He’s very focused on what he does.”
Bouska tied for first at the Winterset Invitational on May 1, but then he hit a little bit of a rut by placing fourth at the Washington Boys Golf Invitational on May 4 in Riverside. He shot a 1-over 73 to finish five strokes behind leader Rajan Roth of Washington.
He then shot a 2-over 73 at the Gilbert Invitational on May 9 to tie for third place, finishing three strokes behind leaders Jamin Colvin and Parker Domino of Ballard.
The Raccoon River Conference boys golf meet took place on May 11 in Ames. Bouska lost a tiebreaker with Colvin for second place behind Domino.
Bouska carded a 1-over 73 at the RRC meet to finish five strokes back of Domino.
“In the middle here, he’s had to work a little bit hard to keep the scores (down),” Lester said. “He’s still not where he would like to be.”
But even though he is in a mild slump, Bouska continues to stay positive, and that has spread to his teammates.
“He’s a positive guy,” said Gilbert junior Taylor Dukes. “He’s serious, but he always makes it fun, and he makes it a good day for us.”
Gilbert will take part in the 3A sectional meet in Webster City on May 13. Bouska is hoping to get back to his early-season form as he makes a run for another high finish at state.
“Make it there and try, do as best I can, and try and win it,” Bouska said. “Hopefully, I can get a couple putts to drop.”
Lester and his teammates have faith that he will get back to peak form and represent the Tigers at state in the same way all the former Gilbert greats before him did.
“He’s a great golfer,” Dukes said. “He’s carrying on the program and how we play at Gilbert.”
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Gilbert has another elite boys golfer in Johnathan Bouska
Reporting by Joe Randleman, Ames Tribune / Ames Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
