Maddie Childs, Mitchell girls win ESD individual, team golf championship
May 23—YANKTON, S.D. — A strong 1-2 finish from Kernel teammates Maddie Childs and Allison Meyerink powered Mitchell girls golf to the top of the conference leaderboard.
The Kernels claimed their third Eastern South Dakota Conference championship in four years at Fox Run Golf Course in Yankton on Thursday. The conference meet was moved from Tuesday due to rainy weather.
As a team, Mitchell posted a cumulative score of 323, besting runner-ups Watertown (332) by nine strokes. Aberdeen Central (334) came in third, followed by Pierre (365), and both Brandon Valley and Brookings (376). Hosts Yankton (379) and Harrisburg (392) rounded out the eight-team field.
Childs picked up her first individual title of the season, firing a 2-over 74, closing it out with a birdie on her final hole to beat Meyerink (75) by one stroke. She carded five of them in total to lead the field in the category. It's also the fourth time this season both Childs and Meyerink have secured a 1-2 finish at a tournament.
Quinn Dannenbring secured a ninth-place finish for the Kernels, firing an 85 for the day. Mia Larson posted a score of 89 en route to a share of 16th, Ava Eliason finished tied for 23rd with a 93, and Anna Eliason shot a 96 to finish in a tie for 26th.
Yankton's Ellia Homstad fired a round of 79 to share third place with Watertown's Avery Palmquist in the individual standings. Palmquist's teammate Aspen Reynolds and Aberdeen's Olivia Braun took home fifth place with rounds of 80.
Mitchell will now turn its attention to the Class AA state golf championship, where the Kernels will enter as the defending state champions. The two-day event will begin on Monday, June 3, at neighboring Hillcrest Golf Club in Yankton.
