COLSON CLAIMS STATE B INDIVIDUAL GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
BROOKINGS, S.D. – The final State Championships of the 2023-24 high school sports season played out on Tuesday, as State Golf Tournaments wrapped up at four locations. In the Class B Boys Tournament Sully Buttes sophomore Gavin Colson earned the individual medalist honors after a second straight 3-over par 75 at the Brookings Country Club. Colson trailed Blake Larson of Wessington Springs by one stroke after Monday’s first round, but a hot start with back-to-back birdies on the first two holes Tuesday set him on the path to the title. After a 2-under 34 on the front nine, Colson held a four-stroke lead and was able to play it safe on the back nine while playing in the same group with his closest competitors. He did card a 5-over 41 on the back nine, but was able to hold on for a two-stroke victory over Chet Peterson of Ipswich and Taylor Kriech of Colman-Egan. Larson tied for fourth after a second-day 80, but he and his Wessington Springs teammates did claim the team title, the first in the school’s history, by one stroke over Hanson and three shots over Hamlin. Derek Brueggemen of Miller tied for sixth while Wesley Wittler of Sully Buttes tied for eighth individually among other area players in the top ten. Colson is the first individual state champion for the Chargers since Scott Hofer won back-to-back titles in the fall of 1975 and the spring of 1977.
CHESTER WINS CLASS B GIRLS GOLF TITLE
BROOKINGS, S.D. – The Chester Flyers claimed a six-shot win over Miller and Clark/Willow Lake to claim the Class B Girls Golf title at the Edgebrook Golf Course in Brookings. The Flyers led Miller by seven shots after Monday’s first round and were able to hang on for the win despite both teams struggling to find the same success on Tuesday. Clark/Willow Lake began the day 18 shots behind Miller in third place, but made up enough ground to tie the Rustlers for second place honors behind a State Individual Championship performance from Brynn Roehrich who tallied a 73 Tuesday for a total of 152. Roehrich claimed the medalist honors by six shots ahead of Jayce Pugh of Miller. Day one leader Jadyn McDonald of Chester finished another shot back in third place. Taryn Hettick of Selby Area tallied a 172 for fourth place while Olivia Olson of Sully Buttes and Olivia Mikkelsen of Potter County tied for fifth. Kamri Kittleson of Jones County and Kaihlyn Anderberg of Miller also finished in the top ten.
WATERTOWN TAKES CLASS AA GOLF IN A THREE-WAY BATTLE
YANKTON, S.D. – Mitchell, Aberdeen Central and Watertown headed into the second round of the Class AA State Girls Golf Tournament all within two strokes of each other, but it was Watertown who had the big second day collectively to win their first team title since 1979. The Arrows soared to a 17-stroke improvement among their top four players to outpace defending champion Mitchell by three shots. Mitchell’s Allison Meyerink, who lost the individual title in a playoff last year, did claim the medalist honors this time at Hillcrest Country Club in Yankton with a two-day total of 5-over par 149. Olivia Braun of Aberdeen Central was a shot back at 150. It was a tough tournament for the Pierre Governors, although they did trim 13 strokes off their team totals from Monday to Tuesday. Hadley Hart led the Govs with a combined 185 while Andrea Mosteller totaled a 190.
SF CHRISTIAN TOPS CLASS A GIRLS GOLF AGAIN
SIOUX FALLS – The Sioux Falls Christian Chargers won their fourth straight Class A Girls Golf Championship with a 32-shot win over second-place Vermillion. Players battled steady rains and delays before the tournament was finally able to conclude Tuesday at the Bakker Crossing Course. Kaitlin Strain of St. Thomas More carded a 75 Tuesday for a two-day total of 152, good for a two-shot individual win over Tori Peterson of SFC and Ari Jacobs of West Central. Chamberlain finished seventh in the team standings led by Alexis Cronk who tied for 18th place with a 171.
Scores and story provided by Brian Oakland
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