In familiar spot at state meet, Kernel girls golf claims first Class AA team title

Jun. 6—PIERRE — Familiar circumstances faced the Mitchell High School girls golf team on Tuesday at Hillsview Golf Course.

With the team lead through 18 holes at the Class AA state golf tournament, the Kernels were right where they were at the same stage one year ago.

But unlike 2022, Mitchell would not be denied the team crown. Not this time.

The Kernels got big performances from their top golfers on the back nine on Tuesday to claim the program's first-ever Class AA state girls golf team title by three strokes.

Mitchell shot a 307 on Tuesday as a team, with three players shooting in the 70s to lead the way. The Kernels' two-day score was 616, three shots ahead of Aberdeen Central's mark of 619, finishing a season of consistent battles between the Kernels and Golden Eagles on the course.

It is a sweet state title for the Kernels, who lost out on the 2022 state title by three strokes to Harrisburg, and were also second in 2021. This time, they were on the right side of the same three-stroke margin.

"This is one of the goals the girls set out to accomplish this season," said head coach Jeff Meyerink. "To be here, have it get tight in the end but still get it done, It means everything to these girls and to me for the effort they put in throughout the year. ... They wanted this badly after last year ended the way it did."

It wasn't all smooth sailing for the Kernels, who built a lead of as much as 11 strokes early on Day 2 only to see that advantage dwindle to a single stroke as the leaders entered the final four holes. It was an opportunity for Mitchell to draw on their 2022 experience and pull through down the stretch.

"Personally, I forget the first day," said Mitchell junior Quinn Dannenbring, who shot an even-par-72 to lead the Kernels on Day 2. "The seven-stroke lead meant nothing to me because you need to go do what you need to do the second day because nothing is guaranteed."

Dannenbring's Tuesday performance vaulted her into a fourth-place individual finish. Meanwhile, Maddie Childs shot a 3-over-par 75 for the day and also earned a top-25 medal, finishing in a tie for 13th place.

For Dannenbring, it was a season-best by five strokes, having tied her previous top effort with a 77 on Monday. She converted five birdies on Tuesday, including four on the front nine where she was 1-under.

"I wasn't hitting the ball as well as I can, it wasn't my best day for putting, and even my irons were shaky there for a bit," Dannenbring said. "Ultimately, I still don't think I was playing my best, but I know how to manage my misses and scramble for pars and birdies."

"She was just engaged with the whole tournament," Jeff Meyerink said of Dannenbring. "And she was embracing all of the pressure that comes along with it."

Following an 83 on Day 1 that didn't factor into Mitchell's team total, Maddie Childs carded a 75 on Tuesday, which was a welcomed bounce-back for the Kernels.

Childs put together a nine-hole string of bogey-less golf spanning the final eight holes of the front nine plus No. 10. Through nine holes, Childs was 1-over, Mitchell's second-best mark for the first half of the day.

"I didn't have the best day [Monday], but I kept a good attitude and felt really felt positive about today," Childs said. "I just came in and gave it my all so that we could win."

"She's got the drive, the composure, and just being a freshman, it's amazing to see," Jeff Meyerink said of Childs. "A 75 for a freshman at state when you really needed to get it done is absolutely special."

Allison Meyerink, who led the tournament after Monday's competition, also shot 3-over-75. After starting 3-over on her opening seven holes, Meyerink was steady for Mitchell, with 10 consecutive holes of par or better. She held a one-shot lead on the 18th hole but bogeyed the hole to fall into a playoff with Huron's Bryn Huber, who surged on Tuesday with a round of 2-under-par 70.

"It was absolutely huge," Jeff Meyerink said of Allison's bogey-less streak. "She was going into the No. 8 tee box and wanted to know where she was at and I told her it was a three-way tie for the (individual) lead. She nodded, stepped up and hit it to 7 feet. She just brought it in so strong."

On the first playoff hole, Huber made a 30-footer for birdie and Meyerink's birdie attempt to match Huber's score slid by the hole, allowing the Huron senior to earn the individual state title.

Rounding out the top five individuals were Aberdeen Central's Olivia Braun (148 strokes, third), Huron's Olivia Rink (150, tie-fifth) and Rapid City Stevens' Lauren Knapp (150, tie-fifth).

On the team front, it is the first state golf championship for a Kernel squad since the Mitchell boys won in 1930, which was the third season a high school golf championship was sponsored in the state.

Mitchell's Lara Widstrom and Ava Eliason each shot rounds of 85 to tie for the final counting score to Mitchell's team total. Jayli Rients shot 93 for the Kernels, who threatened their own team record of 306 strokes for a single round.

With Allison Meyerink in the final group, it gave the Kernels that came in ahead of her a chance to gather at the 18th green. As the final putt of the group dropped in, Mitchell knew it had won, as a huddle quickly formed around Meyerink and a flurry of hugs ensued.

"When we knew that we had sealed it, there were just so many emotions that flooded in," Dannenbring said. "We've been working for this for years and now we've finally pulled ahead."