The two winners of last week’s region qualifier returned and topped the field again, this time as Region 1B Golf Tournament medalists during blustery conditions at Lee Park Golf Course on Monday.
Webster’s Seth Lesnar won the boys’ individual championship with a round of 70, while Clark-Willow Lake’s Brynn Roehrich won the girls’ crown with a total of 72. Clark-Willow Lake swept the team titles.
Lesnar was pleased with his total on the way to topping the rest of the field by six strokes.
“There’s no shots I want back. I’m happy with everything,” Lesnar said. “There’s no shots that I’m like I wish I could have done better.”
While the conditions were similar to last week’s qualifier, the temperatures were actually cooler during the region.
“It’s tougher definitely,” Lesnar said. “I was using my gloves the whole time, so I’m trying to keep my hands warm in between shots. So, I’d throw the gloves on, and take them off to hit and throw ’em back on just to stay warm.”
The sophomore is looking forward to the upcoming state tournament.
“I just want to play my best and just be happy with how I play,” Lesnar said. “Put two good days together, because that’s the thing about state. There’s two days. You can’t just play good one day. You’ve got to play good both days.”
Roehrich definitely knows a thing or two about success at state, having won the past two State B individual championships.
While the junior did not keep track of her total on the day, she was pleased with the way she hit the ball.
“My goal today when my summer coach was here, my goal was to commit to at least 80 percent of my shots and I can say that I did that,” Roehrich said.
Roehrich talked about that philosophy.
“See my start line and hit my ball there. If it goes somewhere else, but I know that I hit a good shot, then I can still be happy about it.”
Roehrich said the windy conditions impacted her a bit differently than last week’s wind.
“It was a completely different wind, so it kind of changed up some of the shots that I expected to hit,” she said. “Some of the holes that I thought I was going to hit 4-iron, I was hitting 3-wood or driver off the tee box.”
Roehrich’s younger sister, Faith, was runner-up eight shots behind the pace.
When asked what would happen if her sister were to beat her, Roehrich responded, “Obviously, I want to win, that’s the end of the game, but if it does come down to it and she beats me, I’m going to be happy for her. I’ll be disappointed in myself, but at the end of the day, I’ll be happy for her.”
Golf is a sport that allows smaller schools, which are in coopertives with schools in others sports, to maintain their identity.
Edmunds Central finished second in boys’ team points.
“It’s a good feeling, just being our own school,” said junior Seth Hettick, “actually having to bring the plaque to our school too, not having to get copies of it or anything. It’s nice getting that plaque into your school.”
Hettick finished fourth with a 78.
“Conditions were tough. The front nine I was playing really well,” Hettick said. “I got to the back nine, it went a little downhill, but overall not a bad day.”
Because the Raiders don’t have a golf course in Roscoe, they need to travel to practice.
“Actually, Bowdle school closed, so half their kids came to Roscoe,” Hettick said, “so we’ll go over to Bowdle and we’ll practice on Bowdle’s course, because they’ve got grass greens.”
Doland is another school that has its own golf squad. Olivia Knox is proud to represent the Wheelers.
“I think it’s fun and exciting just to get people to know more about Doland,” Knox said. “We have some great athletes and we get to show it off in our smaller sports like golf, even though golf is not a small sport.”
Knox, who tied for 16th at last year’s state tournament, finished 10th on Monday.
“I always just try to find the little things,” Knox said of her game. “My golf coach said try to find something you’re grateful for before you tee off. It kind of just helps me find little things in golf that people usually don’t look at.”
Knox said she comes up with things for each hole.
“One big thing I’m usually grateful for is my big supporters,” Knox said. “Like my parents and my grandparents always wish me good luck even if they can’t be here.”
The boys’ state tournament will be at the Brookings Country Club, while the girls’ state tourney will be at the Edgebrook Golf Course in Brookings June 1-2.
To see complete tournament results, click on the following link:
