Connect with us
Dacotah Bank

Golf

Central captures Hub City Invitational team title; Meyerink wins playoff

Aberdeen Central’s Olivia Braun watches her tee shot on the fourth hole at Lee Park Golf Course during Thursday’s Hub City Invitational. Photo by John Davis taken 4/28/2022

The Aberdeen Central golf squad keeps lowering its score.

The Golden Eagles shot a season best total of 330 to win the team title at the Hub City Invitational at Lee Park Golf Course on Thursday. That score comes on the heels of a 334 on Tuesday in Pierre.

“You look at our team score and we keep improving,” said Central coach Kim Zimmerman. “That’s what it’s all about. Every meet if we can improve in some capacity, facet of our game, that’s where we want to be at, so we’re moving in that direction.”

Mitchell’s Allison Meyerink won a two-hole playoff to claim medalist honors. Meyerink outdueled Watertown’s Riley Zebroski on the second hole to grab the win.

“I have never been in a playoff before so it was pretty exciting,” Meyerink said. “I was a little nervous, but it’s actually quite fun with the pressure that’s on you.”

Meyerink, Zebroski and Aberdeen Central’s Olivia Braun each finished with a 78.

Meyerink was solid off the tee on both of her playoff holes and was able to smile after the milestone victory.

“I think it’s important because it’s my very first individual win,” she said, “so it’s like a big deal for me.”

Mitchell’s Allison Meyerink watches her tee shot on the second hole at Lee Park Golf Course during Thursday’s Hub City Invitational. Photo by John Davis taken 4/28/2022

Braun just won a playoff on Tuesday in Pierre, but got herself in trouble off the tee on the first playoff hole and was never able to recover.

“I probably could have played it a little more safe there,” Braun said. “I kind of went for it a little bit, but that’s golf.”

Playing in her only home meet of the season, Braun said she was not nervous having family and friends watching her during the playoff round.

“It just kind of shows I have people that love me and that want to watch me and care for me,” she said, “so it doesn’t bother me that much.”

The eighth-grader is having a remarkable season so far, leading the team in scoring in each of the four meets so far this season.

Braun said the key so far has been her short game.

“Short game is the biggest part in golf,” Braun said. “You can definitely pick up a lot of strokes there.”

Once again the Eagles were led by their youth movement. Eighth-grader Emma Dohrer was fifth with an 81 and seventh-grader Kyley Wirebaugh was seventh with an 82.

“We do have a young team,” Braun said. “Hopefully, as we get older we’ll do better and better.”

Wirebaugh has proven to be a valuable member of the varsity in her first season with the squad.

“She’s on the right track. She’s really grown up in the last few weeks, not the last year, but just in the last few weeks,” Zimmerman said. “It’s phenomenal as to where she was at a year ago to where she’s at right now in terms of where she’s playing.”

The Golden Eagles are at Huron on Thursday and Yankton next Friday. Zimmerman expects some of the best teams in the state to be at those events.

Central will take a ton of confidence in those meets following their score of 330 at its home meet.

“You start putting those team scores out there,” Zimmerman said, “you’re going to be in pretty good shape on any golf course for the most part.”

Team Points: Aberdeen Central 330, Mitchell 334, Huron 340, Watertown 344, Pierre 349.

Individual finishers

1, Allison Meyerink, Mitchell, 78 (won playoff); 2, Riley Zebroski, Watertown, 78; 3, Olivia Braun, Aberdeen Central, 78; 4, Bryn Huber, Huron, 80; 5, Emma Dohrer, Aberdeen Central, 81; 6, Olivia Rink, Huron, 82; 7, Kyley Wirebaugh, Aberdeen Central 82; 8, Quinn Dannenbring, Mitchell, 83; 9, Maddie Childs, Mitchell, 83; 10, (tie) Andrea Mosteller, Pierre, 85, and Haley Nadeau, Pierre, 85;

12, Shelby Pearson, Watertown, 86; 13, Kenya Bigelow, Huron, 87; 14, Aspen Reynolds, Watertown, 87; 15, Ellie Jo Simpson, Pierre, 88; 16, Morgan Jones, Aberdeen Central, 90; 17, Lara Widstrom, Mitchell, 90; 18, Leah Gough, Aberdeen Central, 91; 19, Libby Picek, Huron, 91; 20, Madilyn Brakke, Pierre, 91;

21, Jordyn Geerdes, Watertown, 92; 22, Maia Van Laecken, Watertown, 92; 23, Jayli Rients, Mitchell, 92; 24, Chloe Vikander, Aberdeen Central, 93; 25, Natalie Pearson, Watertown, 95; 26, Hadley Hart, Pierre, 98; 27, Morgan Isburg, Pierre, 103; 28, Anna Claire Rubish, Huron, 105; 29, Miranda Maas, Aberdeen Central, 107; 30, Hannah Purintun, Huron, 111; 31, Mia Larson, Mitchell, 113.

Purchase a Photo

Browse By Category

Browse By Month

More in Golf