Golf roundup: LQPV girls back to defend their title
Jun. 2—WILLMAR — The Lac qui Parle Valley girls golf team handled business. After shooting a season-best 353 on Day 1 of the Section 5A championship, the Eagles clinched their fourth straight state berth with a two-day total of 725.
"We did well and we pushed through these two days," said junior Isabella Jacobs. "I'm excited to go (to state)."
The defending Class A state champion, LQPV is looking for a repeat. And with five girls back from last season's state championship, the Eagles think they have the talent to do it.
"We haven't had that opportunity before," said LQPV head coach Kipp Stender. After winning the state title in 2018, the Eagles finished third in '19. There was no '20 state tournament due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Going into last season, we weren't expecting a lot but the team did really well together and came out with a state championship. This year, we got five coming back and they're all going to be a little better."
The Class A state tournament takes place on June 14-15 at Pebble Creek Golf Club in Becker.
In the hunt for a repeat, LQPV ratcheted up its schedule in preparation for state and sections.
On May 20-21, the Eagles played in a tournament against some of the top Class AA and AAA teams in the state at Bunker Hills Golf Course in Coon Rapids, the site of the AAA state tournament.
"It was a really great experience to play with better competition and we got the back-to-back 18s, which is what state is like," said senior Sarah Halvorson. "It's quite draining, so it's good we got some experience with that beforehand. It was a great course and had faster greens."
Adding to the degree of difficulty was BOLD entering Section 5A. The Warriors ended up finishing second with 766. Community Christian School of Willmar was third (888) and MACCRAY finished fourth (910).
"(BOLD's) been to state seven, eight, nine years in a row," Stender said. "We knew we would have to be on our best game to beat them, which held true. If they were in their old section, they probably would have qualified for state today."
Knowing what laid ahead in June helped push the Eagles during the regular-season tournaments defined by rotten spring weather.
"We just knew we had to come in and focus and really try hard," Jacobs said. "But we knew we could do it. It helped push us a little bit more."
Halvorson took medalist honors, shooting an 84 on Wednesday for a two-day score of 163.
"I was hitting my irons pretty good," Halvorson said of her round. She beat BOLD's Leslie Snow, who had an 81 on Wednesday and a total of 169.
"I was struggling with my putter and I think I lost some strokes there. But overall it wasn't terrible. Hopefully I can make up a few strokes here or there in a couple weeks."
Jacobs was fourth overall with a 175. Molly Halvorson placed seventh with 190, and Kaitlyn Kittelson placed ninth with 197. Stender said LQPV also got career-best rounds on Wednesday from Grace Vacek (103) and Kate Ulstad (112).
"No two rounds are ever alike; they did a nice job coming out last Friday," Stender said. "Today, I think the pressure and it being a more challenging course than last Friday made it tougher. ... It took a while to adjust to the putting and the rough was thicker today."
Also heading to state as individuals are: Snow; Benson's Alissa Maurer (third, 174); Dawson-Boyd's Lindsey Lund (fifth, 182); BOLD's Kenna Henriksen (sixth, 188); and D-B's Alyssa Swedzinski (eighth, 192). The top five players not on the state-bound team qualify for state.
Girls
Team scoring
(1) Lac qui Parle Valley 353-372—725 ... (2) BOLD 379-387—766 ... (3) Community Christian School 443-445—888 ... (4) MACCRAY 458-452—910
Individual
TOP FIVE + STATE QUALIFIERS — (1) Sarah Halvorson, LQPV, 79-84—163 ... (2) Leslie Snow, BOLD, 88-81—169 ... (3) Alissa Maurer, Benson, 90-84—174 ... (4) Isabella Jacobs, LQPV, 87-88—175 ... (5) Lindsey Lund, Dawson-Boyd, 88-94—182 ... (6) Kenna Henriksen, BOLD 89-99—188 ... (8) Alyssa Swedzinski, D-B, 99-93—192
LQPV — (1) S. Halvorson 79-84—163 ... (4) Jacobs 87-88—175 ... (7) Molly Halvorson 87-103—190 ... (9) Kaitlyn Kittelson 100-97—197 ... (13t) Grace Vacek 108-103—211 ... (17t) Kate Ulstad 118-112—230
BOLD — (2) Snow 88-81—169 ... (6) Henriksen 89-99—188 ... (10) Alison Kadlec 97-103—200 ... (13t) McKenna Jensen 105-106—211 ... (15) Tori Osterfeld 109-104—213 ... (16) Layla Pfarr 113-110—223
CCS — (12) Katrina Velyan 101-108—209 ... (17t) Sage Mulder 113-117—230 ... (19t) Hope Reid 123-108—231 ... (19t) Margo Klaassen 118-113—231 ... (19t) Sydney Gustafson 113-118—231 ... (22t) Lexi Macik 116-116—232
MACCRAY — (11) Kori Bristle 100-104—204 ... (22t) Alexis Noble 120-112—232 ... (22t) Alix Bristle 121-111—232 ... (25) Callie Macht 117-125—242
BENSON — (3) Maurer 90-84—174
DAWSON-BOYD — (5) Lund 88-94—182 ... (8) Swedzinski 99-93—192
Willmar senior Kessa Mara punched her ticket to state after finishing tied for fifth in Day 2 in the Section 8AAA championship at Rich-Spring Golf Club in Cold Spring.
Mara made a six-stroke improvement from her Day 1 score, shooting a 79 on Wednesday. She wrapped up the tournament with a 164, finishing in a tie with Detroit Lakes' Hanna Knoop.
Willmar eighth-grader Kennedy Mara also competed on Wednesday. She shot a 97 on Day 2 and finished the tournament in 38th place with 196.
Alexandria clinched the section team title with a two-day score of 649. The Cardinals are the defending Class AAA state champions. Brainerd was second with 663 and Detroit Lakes was third with 670.
Alexandria's Hannah Boraas took medalist honors with a total of 156. She beat Brainerd's Katie Foley and Detroit Lakes' McKenna Mallow, who both shot 158s.
The Class AAA state championships take place on June 14-15 at Bunker Hills Golf Club in Coon Rapids.
Girls
Team scoring
(1) Alexandria 338-311-649 ... (2) Brainerd 331-332—663 ... (3) Detroit Lakes 338-332—670 ... (4) Becker 362-354—716 ... (5) Moorhead 376-354—730 ... (6) Buffalo 374-377—751 ... (7) Sartell 390-373—763
Individual
TOP FIVE + STATE QUALIFIERS — (1) Hannah Boraas, Alex, 83-73—156 ... (2t) Katie Foley, Brain, 78-80—158; and McKenna Mallow, DL, 76-82—158 ... (4) Cora Larson, Alex, 84-76—160 ... (5t) Hanna Knoop, DL, 88-76—164; and Kessa Mara, Willmar, 85-79—164 ... (7) Izzy Olson 81-84—165
WILLMAR — (5) Kes. Mara 85-79—164 ... (38) Kennedy Mara 99-97—196
The New London-Spicer boys and Minnewaska/Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa girls repeated as Section 3AA champions following Day 2 of the section meet at Oakdale Golf Club in Buffalo Lake.
The Wildcat boys put together a Day 2 score of 293, finishing the tournament with a total of 604. Marshall finished second with 638, and Minnewaska was third with 640.
The Class AA state tournament takes place on June 14-15 at Ridges at Sand Creek in Jordan.
Pacing the NLS boys was senior Peyton Coahran. He shot a 3-under par 69 on Day 2 for a total of 144. He finished four strokes ahead of Luverne's Henry Hartquist's 148. Teammates Nixon Harrier and Noah Dietz tied for seventh with 154s. Gabe Truscinski tied for 10th with 156.
Morris/Chokio-Alberta's Charlie Hanson (third, 149), Minnewaska's Riley Larson (fourth, 151) and Litchfield's Sam Tipka (sixth, 153) each qualified for state as individuals.
Tied with Redwood Valley going into Day 2, the Minnewaska/BBE girls won the section by one stroke. The Blue Jackets had a 343 on Wednesday for a two-day total of 685. The Cardinals had 344 for a two-day 686.
Ava Kollman had back-to-back 85s to lead Minnewaska/BBE's efforts with a third-place total of 170. Arivia DeBoer placed fourth overall with 172. Paige Rupp (sixth, 174), Alissa Thorfinnson (eighth, 175) and Berkley Steffen (10th, 178) all placed in the top 10.
Litchfield placed fourth with a two-day 759. They will send one individual to state, Kaity Kusler advances after tying for sixth with a two-day score of 174.
The NLS girls finished sixth with 787. The Wildcats' top score came from Annika Duininck. She placed 17th with a 184.
Boys
Team scoring
(1) New London-Spicer 311-293—604 ... (2) Marshall 322-316—638 ... (3) Minnewaska 317-323—640 ... (4) Luverne 325-318—643 ... (5) Windom 328-337—665
Individual
TOP FIVE + STATE QUALIFIERS — (1) Peyton Coahran, NLS, 75-69—144 ... (2) Henry Hartquist, Luv, 78-70—148 ... (3) Charlie Hanson, Morris/Chokio-Alberta 75-74—149 ... (4) Riley Larson, Min, 77-74—151 ... (5) Braxton Thompson, Pipestone, 77-75—152 ... (6) Sam Tipka, Litchfield 77-76—153
NLS — (1) Coahran 75-69—144 ... (7t) Nixon Harrier 81-73—154 ... (7t) Noah Dietz 76-78—154 ... (10t) Gabe Truscinski 83-73—156 ... (22t) Blake Kath 79-86—165 ... (29) Jake Rooney 83-86—169
MINNEWASKA — (4) Larson 77-74—151 ... (12t) Zach Gugisberg 79-78—157 ... (18t) Hunter Kostelecky 79-84—163 ... (32t) Logan Kostelecky 85-87—172 ... (35) Peyton Rooney 82-93—175 ... (43) Blake Nelson 92-102—194
LITCHFIELD — (6) Tipka 77-76—153 ... (22t) Braxton Kerstein 79-86—165 ... (39) Tyler Jansky 87-93—180
Girls
Team scoring
(1) Minnewaska/Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 342-343—685 ... (2) Redwood Valley 342-344—686 ... (3) Fairmont 362-349—711 ... (4) Litchfield 374-385—759 ... (5) Marshall 393-382—775 ... (6) New London-Spicer 395-392—787
Individual
TOP FIVE + STATE QUALIFIERS — (1) Julian Brown, RV, 76-77—153 ... (2) Mila Jenniges, RV, 78-78—156 ... (3) Ava Kollman, M/BBE, 85-85—170 ... (4) Arivia DeBoer, M/BBE, 81-91—172 ... (5) Solveig Senf, Fair, 86-87—173 ... (6) Kaity Kusler, Litch, 86-88—174 ... (8) Brynn Gustafson, Fair, 91-84—175
MINNEWASKA/BBE — (3) Ava Kollman 85-85—170 ... (4) Arivia DeBoer 81-91—172 ... (6t) Paige Rupp 85-89—174 ... (8t) Alissa Thorfinnson 93-82—175 ... (10t) Berkley Steffen 91-87—178 ... (23) Annika DeBoer 99-93—192
LITCHFIELD — (6t) Kusler 86-88—174 ... (24) Cora Huhn 94-99—193 ... (25) Amelia Benson 97-98—195 ... (26) Lauren Erickson 97-100—197 ... (42) Brooke Sworski 106-111—217 ... (44t) Claudia Toenjes 113-107—220
NLS — (17) Annika Duininck 95-89—184 ... (19t) Izzy Schmiesing 96-91—187 ... (28t) Rylie Harrier 101-97—198 ... (43) Avery Palmquist 103-115—218
ATWATER-COSMOS-GROVE CITY — (14) Brooke Brekke 94-86—180
MONTEVIDEO — (36) Lana Rongstad 100-104—204
