Golf

Falcon Teams Claim TRC Championships

Each made state last year. Each hope to do so again this year. But Fillmore Central golf’s post-season began with the TRC Meet. On the guys’ side, Brad Holten’s Falcons (330) finally topped La Crescent/Hokah (338) for the title. The Lancers had taken first over FC the past two years. Chatfield (340) took third, R-P (371) fourth, and Caledonia (377) fifth of 11 complete teams. The Lancers’ Ryan Nutter (36/39 > 75) repeated as individual medalist, topping Falcons’ Aiden Arnold (39/39 > 78) and Anthony Kiehne (42/38 > 80), who had an eagle on a par-five. Both Arnold (87, 12th place-tie) and Kiehne (90, 18th place-tie) moved up a lot from last year. Caledonia’s J.T. Hammell (41/40 > 81) took fourth and Chatfield’s Colton Johnson (44/38 > 82) took fifth. Both FC and Chatfield had three in the top ten. Gophers Devin Reinhardt (85) and Brayden Fretland (85), FC’s Brock Sikkink (85), tied for seventh place. Josh Haugerud (87) tied for 11th and Brody Srsen (88) tied for 13th to give FC five in the top 13. Carson Harstad (88) of Chatfield also tied for 13th. R-P’s top golfer was Will LaFleur (89), who tied for 16th place. Sixty-four guys competed. The Falcon girls (362) claimed their fourth straight TRC meet title over nearest foes St. Charles (384), Caledonia (394), and Chatfield (415). Eight complete and three incomplete teams competed. Using the line-up consistency they have had all year; the Falcons were the only team to put four in the top 10 and six in the top 16. Myleigh Scheevel (44/40 > 84) finished runner-up to SC’s Lily Sullivan (38/42 > 80). Scheevel took third last year. Aubrey Larson (46/44 > 90) and Annika Mensink (47/44 > 91) then took fourth and fifth behind Saint Makena Milard (46/42 > 88). Lily Miller (97) finished eighth. FC’s two non-team-scoring golfers, Ella Dahly (101 > 13th-tie) and Maddie Topness (104 > 16th-tie), finished top 16. Caledonia placed three in the top 11. Jazzlyn Hauser (93) took seventh, Maggie Herman (98) tied for ninth, and Hayden Harms (99) tied for 11th. Warrior Alexis Sauer (104) tied for 16th place. Chatfield had two in the top 11. Mya Henry (92) took sixth and Taylor Ask (99) tied for 11th. Forty-seven total girls competed. The event was held at Eastwood’s 18-hole, par-71 golf course in Rochester.

Fourth-Inning Eruptions Propel Lions to Pair of Playoff Wins

Spring Grove (6-seed, 13-7) advanced through the Section 1A baseball bracket with two very similar wins over Wabasha-Kellogg (11-seed, 6-14), 10-4, and Mabel-Canton (14-seed, 7-14), 8-1. Both games followed strangely similar scripts. Versus the Falcons in the Round of 16, the Lions wiped out a 2-0 deficit with a six-run outburst in the fourth inning and then exploded again with a four-run sixth inning. Against the Cougars in the quarterfinals, Spring Grove wiped out a 1-0 deficit with a four-run outburst in the fourth inning and again added four runs in the sixth inning. Against W-K, the outcome came down to defense. W-K had the most hits, eight to seven, and the only two extra-base hits. Falcon pitchers issued seven free passes, Lion hurlers five. W-K stranded eight runners; SG nine. However, Wabasha-Kellogg had five errors, Spring Grove zero. There were two Falcon errors in each of the Lions’ two big innings. The Lions, with only one earned run, took advantage by crowding six of their seven hits into those two, explosive innings. Brandon Jahnke was great with the glove and at the plate (2-3, 3 RBI). Elijah Solum (2-5, RBI, 2 R) swiped three bases. Other hits came from Tysen Moen (1-1, RBI), Ezra Griffin (1-3, RBI, R) and Ben Udstuen (1-3, 2 R). Jaxon Strinmoen (4 2/3 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K) picked up his second pitching win in nine days against the Falcons. Ben Udstuen (2 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K) earned the save. It was the third straight year the Lions have opened the playoffs hosting W-K. Mabel-Canton came in for the second straight year with a first-round upset of Kenyon-Wanamingo, this year a 2-0 shutout of the 3-seed Knights (See “Baseball” for more). Spring Grove out-hit the Cougars nine to six, including both extra-base hits – RBI doubles by Braedon Solie (2 for 3) and Zach Brumm (1 for 1). The Brumm blast gave the Lions a 2-1 lead. Eight Lions had base hits, seven scored, and six had RBI. The only Cougar run came with a first-inning walk issued to Isaac Underbakke (2-2), who would score on a single by Darian Hershberger (2-2). Other hits came from Tyler Larson (1-3) and Nolan Garness (1-3). Jahnke was the winning pitcher (4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K), relieved by Strinmoen (3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 K, 0 BB). Underbakke (3 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 5 K) absorbed the pitching loss before being relieved by Larson (3 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 0 K). The Cougars dropped into the elimination bracket versus Rushford-Peterson (See “Trojans Push to Memorial Day”). The teams had split their SEC series. SG (6-seed, 15-7) moved on to face Lyle/Pacelli (2-seed, 19-2) in the 1A semis.

DQ Factors in as Burro Teams Win SEC Meet Titles

Lanesboro’s golf teams each won SEC Meet titles. The boys’ championship included a notable disqualification. Tim Opat’s group (341) topped Southland (347) with GMLO (372) taking third, Houston (403) fifth, and Kingsland (448) sixth of six complete teams. Burro frosh Jack Brogle (39/37) and Rebel senior Nick Edland (37/39), both individual state entrants last year, co-medaled with 76’s. Kaden Stettler (42/40 > 82) took third while Dayton Haugen (89, 7th-tie) and Grant Horihan (94, 12th-tie) rounded out the Burros scoring golfers. Southland’s other three team-scoring golfers were Braxten Wiste (43/42 > 85, 4th-tie), Kade Overocker (89, 7th-tie), and Derek Fredericksen (97, 17th-tie). Bradley Lagerstedt was disqualified, hampering Southland’s pursuit of both an SEC regular and post-season title. Houston was paced by Ethan Knutson (44/41 > 85), who tied for fourth. GMLO was led by Lincoln Lunning (43/44 > 87), who took sixth. Bulldog Graham Eastlee (92, 11th place), Hurricane Preston Peterson (94, 12th-tie), and Burro Holdyn Willford (95, 14th-tie) also made the top 15. Kingsland’s top golfer, Ethan Carr (96), took 16th place. Thirty-three golfers competed. On the girls’ side, the Burros easily (399) took first over Kingsland (483) with GMLO (515) and Houston (523) taking fourth and fifth (of five compete) teams. Burro junior Ellie McCabe (44/45 > 89) was meet medalist followed by seventh grade sister Addison McCabe (45/49 > 94). They were the only two to shoot sub-100. Teammates Grace Tufte (106 > 4th place) and Jentrey Schreiber (110 > 6th place) also finished top six. GMLO was led by Gabby Tangren (105), who took third. Kingsland’s Ryley Guy (111) and Emily Sargent (112) took seventh and eighth places. Houston’s Lexi Weichert (113) took ninth. Twenty-eight girls competed. Each 18-hole event was held at Adams’ par-72 Cedar River Golf Course.