State golf roundup: NLS boys end on a high note

Jun. 16—JORDAN — The New London-Spicer boys are a Day 2 golf team.

A day after sitting in sixth place with a score of 331, the Wildcats took 19 strokes off for a Day 2 score of 312 on Wednesday.

NLS finished the Class AA tournament at Ridges at Sand Creek in sixth place with a total of 643.

"The last two years in two-day tournaments, we always come back strong," said Wildcats head coach Jeff Boonstra. "When we talked this morning, we said to the boys, 'Let's forget about number one and let's go for number two or three."

Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa won the boys team title with a two-day 616, beating Holy Family Catholic by four strokes. Roseau was third with 634.

Six strokes separated fourth-place Totino-Grace (640) from seventh-place Pequot Lakes (646)

"Let's shoot a good round and see where it goes, and that's what they did," Boonstra said. "The goal was obviously to be on the podium and we were right there. It was very close."

It was a strong bounce-back day for seniors Peyton Coahran and Noah Dietz.

Coahran started Day 2 with three straight birdies. Boonstra said it could have been six but "he missed birdie putts by about an inch."

Coahran shot a three-under 32 over his first nine holes on the back nine. He had an 11-stroke improvement for a Day 2 score of 72 and an overall score of 155. He finished tied for 18th place.

"That was definitely my best start of the year, for sure," said Coahran, who plans to play golf at Winona State. "I wish I could have kept it going, but that's golf for you.

"We just knew we had nothing to lose today. We just came out firing today."

For Dietz, the cups were much more kind on Wednesday.

"I saw Noah lip seven or eight putts (on Day 1)," Boonstra said. "I asked him last night how many lipped out and he said 'I don't know; it seemed like everything I hit went around the lip.'"

Dietz improved his Day 1 score by eight strokes to finish with a 78. Three Wildcats — Dietz, Nixon Harrier and Blake Kath — all finished with 163s to finish tied for 45th.

"The putter was rolling today," said Dietz, a senior. "Everything just felt better today."

Hoping to make a run at the podium, momentum was halted for everyone in the field midway through the round after a 2-hour, 35-minute weather delay due to thunderstorms.

"I think before the horn went off, we were within two of getting into third place," Boonstra said.

Said Dietz, "Five of our guys were rolling going into that rain delay. I had two birdies going in. Then you get that and it's tough to go play after that."

St. Croix Lutheran's Sam Udovich won the individual championship after shooting 71s on back-to-back days for a total of 142. He beat Southwest Christian's Jacob Ferrin by two strokes.

Litchfield's Sam Tipka cut 11 strokes from his Day 1 score with a 72 on Wednesday. His total of 155 put him in a tie for 15th. Morris/Chokio-Alberta's Charlie Hanson finished 23rd with a total of 157. Minnewaska's Riley Larson tied for 65th with a 169.

The afternoon weather delay turned Day 2 for the Class AA girls into a nine-hole round. All the groups started off on hole No. 10 and put up their best scores on the back nine.

"It's never easy when you have a delay, especially that long," said Minnewaska/Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa girls golf coach Tony Janu. "You come to the course with a game plan with how you're going to warm up, and that's all out the window. And then you wait and wait, and when you finally find out, you have to rejuvenate the girls. ... But everyone's got to go through it."

It turns out, the move to the back nine was all right for the Blue Jackets. They shot a score of 173 on Day 2 and moved up one spot to finish fourth overall with a score of 539.

"It was definitely different from past years," said Minnewaska/BBE senior Berkley Steffen. "It was different starting from the back, too. But our team did the best it could and they pulled through everything. For the last year, I couldn't have asked for a better team."

Lake City won its second straight Class AA girls title with a score of 491. Fergus Falls was second with 530, followed by Pequot Lakes at 535.

There was concern from Janu about playing on the back nine. The stretch on holes 12, 13 and 14 he's nicknamed "Amen Corner" on account of the prayer required to make it through the traps and hazards.

But, senior Alissa Thorfinnson wasn't intimidated by the back nine. She ended up shooting a team-best 40 on Wednesday and an overall score of 132. She finished tied for 25th.

"For me, I thought it played pretty easy," Thorfinnson said. "I was glad it was the back nine going into this because yesterday, I did really bad on the front nine. So I just felt confident going into it and it wasn't that hard for the way I play.

"My goal was just to bogey everything. I got a few pars and a birdie, and here I am."

Steffen, another senior for the Blue Jackets, shot a 44 and ended the tournament with a team-best score of 130. She tied for 21st.

"Ending with a birdie just made the whole day," Berkley said.

Freshman Arivia DeBoer finished 33rd with a score of 134 after scoring a 42 on Day 2. Ava Kollman took the No. 4 spot on Wednesday with a 44, finishing the tournament tied for 66th with 150.

"Today we came out and it was a lot nicer and you could just tell the difference," Janu said. "They were more comfortable out there. This is a beast of a golf course and you got to bring your game. If you don't, you'll pay on some holes.

"Overall, the girls gave 100 percent and that's all I can ask."

Perham's Mallory Belka clinched medalist honors. After shooting a 76 on Day 1, she carded a 38 on Day 2 for a total of 114.

Elsewhere in the area, Litchfield's Kaity Kusler tied for 53rd place with a two-day 143.

Team scoring (36 holes)

(1) Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa 309-307—616 ... (2) Holy Family Catholic 326-294—620 ... (3) Roseau 322-312—634 ... (4) Totino-Grace 320-320—640 ... (5) Cloquet 332-309—641 ... (6) New London-Spicer 331-312—643 ... (7) Pequot Lakes 330-316—646 ... (8) The Blake School 343-326—669

Individual

TOP FIVE — (1) Sam Udovich, St. Croix Lutheran 71-71—142 ... (2) Jacob Ferrin, Southwest Christian 71-73—144 ... (3t) Anders Larson, PIZM 73-72—145; and Marcus Belka 75-70—145 ... (5) Luke Ashbrook, Kimball, 77-71—148

NLS — (18t) Peyton Coahran 83-72—155 ... (45t) Noah Dietz 85-78—163 ... (45t) Nixon Harrier 81-82—163 ... (45t) Blake Kath 82-81—163 ... (58t) Jake Rooney 86-81—167 ... (65t) Gabe Truscinski 87-82—169

MINNEWASKA — (65t) Riley Larson 88-81—169

MORRIS/CHOKIO-ALBERTA — (23t) Charlie Hanson 78-79—157

LITCHFIELD — (18t) Sam Tipka 83-72—155

Team scoring (27 holes)

(1) Lake City 330-161—491 ... (2) Fergus Falls 357-173—530 ... (3) Pequot Lakes 362-173—535 ... (4) Minnewaska/Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 366-173—539 ... (5) Providence Academy 362-186—548 ... (6) St. Croix Lutheran 382-182—564 ... (7) Jordan 397-185—582 ... (8) Mesabi East 401-203—604

Individual

TOP FIVE — (1) Malory Belka, Perham 76-38—114 ... (2) Ella Matzke, Lake City 79-38—117 ... (3) Anna Eckmann, Park Rapids, 79-40—119 ... (4t) Genevieve Birkeland, Pequot Lakes 80-40—120; Julian Brown, Redwood Valley 78-42—120; and Victoria Woytassek, Jordan 81-39—120

MINNEWASKA/BBE — (21t) Berkley Steffen 86-44—130 ... (25t) Alissa Thorfinnson 92-40—132 ... (33) Arivia DeBoer 92-42—134 ... (62t) Annika DeBoer 96-53—149 ... (66t) Ava Kollman 103-47—150 ... (72t) Paige Rupp 101-53—154

LITCHFIELD — (53t) Kaity Kusler 99-44—143

Willmar senior Kessa Mara wrapped up her prep career with a 30th-place finish at the Class AAA state championships at Bunker Hills Golf Club in Coon Rapids.

After opening the tournament with an 85, Mara carded a 79 on Day 2 for a total of 164.

Mara will continue her golf career at Winona State University.

Alexandria repeated as the Class AAA girls champion with a two-day total of 628. Maple Grove was second with 644. Eastview placed third with 654. Blaine's Kathryn VanArragon took medalist honors with 135, beating Simley's Isabella McCauley. McCauley, who was named Ms. Minnesota Golf, shot a 137.

The Edina boys clinched a state title after putting together a 589. Spring Lake Park was second with 603, and Alexandria was third with 608. There was a three-way tie for the individual state championship. Northfield's Nate Stevens, Rosemount's Owen Rexing and Edina's Jack Wetzel all shot 140s.

Team scoring

(1) Edina 298-291—589 ... (2) Spring Lake Park 301-302—603 ... (3) Alexandria 304-308—608 ... (4) Chanhassen 309-307—616 ... (5t) Lakeville North 304-315—619; and Eastview 313-306—619 ... (7) Stillwater 327-299—626 ... (8) Princeton 330-323—653

Individual

TOP FIVE — (1t) Nate Stevens, Northfield 70-70—140; Owen Rexing, Rosemount 71-69—140; and Jack Wetzel, Edina 70-70—140 ... (4) Brady Baynes, Eden Prairie 73-70—143 ... (5) Ryan Stendahl, Maple Grove 71-73—144

Team scoring

(1) Alexandria 318-310—628 ... (2) Maple Grove 327-317—644 ... (3) Eastview 331-323—654 ... (4) Eden Prairie 344-315—659 ... (5) Edina 341-320—661 ... (6) Elk River 338-339—677 ... (7) Lakeville South 353-356—709 ... (8) Stillwater 356-367—723

Individual

TOP FIVE — (1) Kathryn VanAarragon, Blaine 65-70-135 ... (2) Isabella McCauley, Simley 67-70—137 ... (3) Reese McCauley, Simley 68-71—139 ... (4t) Madi Hicks, Chanhassen 75-70—145; and McKenna Mallow, Detroit Lakes 70-75—145

WILLMAR — (30t) Kessa Mara 85-79—164