Byron girls shine on cold day against loaded field at Lake City Invitational
Apr. 19—LAKE CITY — If Friday's 16-team invitational at Lake City Golf Course is any indication, there could be a battle brewing for the championship in Section 1, Class 2A girls golf.
To be certain, the Lake City Tigers aren't about to easily loosen their grip on the top spot. But the Tigers might have some Bears tracking them.
The Byron Bears showed Friday they have some quality depth, too, placing two golfers in the top 10, three in the top 15 and all four scorers in the top 26 as the Bears earned a third-place finish at the loaded Lake City Invitational, a meet that featured seven teams that qualified for state meets last year.
Lake City is one of those, having won another Section 1-2A title last spring before finishing as the state runner-up (after having won the state title in 2021 and 2022). The Tigers — who are working some new players into the varsity lineup this season — weren't far off the pace Friday, finishing in fourth place, just two strokes back of Byron.
The Bears finished third with a team total of 348, while Lake City came in at 350.
Detroit Lakes, back in Class 2A this season after placing fourth in last year's Class 3A state meet, won Friday's invitational with a score of 334. Section 3, Class 3A power Eastview finished second with a 341.
Lake City star Jordana Windhorst Knudsen, the three-time defending Section 1-2A medalist, led all local players, finishing fourth with an 8-over-par 80.
Byron made just enough shots at key moments, though, to top the Tigers on their home course. Bears senior standout Calie Dockter (the reigning HVL medalist and last year's Section 1-2A runner-up), led them with an 82 and a sixth-place finish. Fellow senior standout Natalie Appel tied for ninth with an 84. Sophomore Ava Olson (14th place, 88) and senior Rylee Finney (26th place, 94) rounded out Byron's scorers.
Lake City senior Ella Matzke, who placed third individually in the section last spring and eighth at state, also cracked the top 10 on Friday. Matzke shot an 84 to tie Appel for ninth place. Lake City's scoring was completed by junior Mattie Mears (20th place, 92) and sophomore Alayna Atkinson (26th, 94).
Rochester Lourdes placed 13th as a team, and was led by seventh-grader Allison Deutsch, who shot an 89 to tie for 17th place.
Two other local golfers finished in the top 25 — Winona senior Marin Keller shot a 92 to tie Lake City's Mears in 20th place, and Red Wing senior Anna Deppe was one shot back, at 93, tying for 24th place.
St. Croix Lutheran junior Addison Wood was the medalist Friday, with a 2-over 74. Eastview's Megan Young was the runner-up with a 78, and Detroit Lakes eighth-grader Sophie Christianson placed third with a 79.
(At Lake City Golf Course, par 72)
TEAM TOTALS
1. Detroit Lakes 334, 2. Eastview 341, 3. Byron 348, 4. Lake City 350, 5. Edina 355, 6. Lakeville North 378, 7. Red Wing 381, 8. Rosemount 386,
9. Lakeville South 399, 10. Albert Lea 404, 11. St. Croix Lutheran 409, 12. Holy Angels 410, 13. Lourdes 419, 14. Winona 427, 15. Jordan 435, 16. Kasson-Mantorville 493.
INDIVIDUALS
(Top 10 and local teams)
1. Addison Wood (SCL) 74, 2. Megan Young (Estvw) 78, 3. Sophie Christianson (DL) 79, 4. Jordana Windhorst Knudsen (LC) 80, 5. Serafina Swanson (Estvw) 81, 6. Calie Dockter (Byron) 82, 7t. Emmy Inderieden (Edina) 83, 7t. Tatum Gatheridge (DL) 83, 9t. Ella Matzke (LC) 84, 9t. Jovie Ordahl (LS) 84, 9t. Natalie Appel (Byron) 84.
Byron (348): 6. Calie Dockter 82, 9t. Natalie Appel 84, 14. Ava Olson 88, 26. Rylee Finney 94.
Lake City (350): 4. Jordana Windhorst Knudsen 80, 9. Ella Matzke 84, 20. Mattie Mears 92, 26. Alyana Atkinson 94.
Red Wing (381): 24. Anna Deppe 93, 26. Chandler Warner 94, 35. Annie Reinitz 97, 35. Hallie Johnson 97.
Lourdes (419): 17. Allison Deutsch 89, 49. Kendell Powell 101, 77. Stella Collura 114, 79. Charlotte Perry 115.
Winona (427): 20. Marin Keller 92, 53. Avery Foss 104, 63. Kali Thompson 108, 88. Madilyn Gibbs 123.
Kasson-Mantorville (493): 72. Leila Galloway 112, 82. Gabby Moritz 117, 90. Grace Moehnke 126, 93. Kinley O'Neil 138.
