Aug. 23—DICKINSON — Mandan is beginning to separate from the pack, collecting their third WDA first-place finish at the Dickinson Invite on Monday, August 21. The weather was cloudy, and the grass dampened from the early morning light rain. Athletes from 11 WDA programs competed at the Heart River Golf Course, some trekking in hoodies and long sleeves to block the cold chill.

Mandan's Anna Huettl and Ruby Heydt contributed greatly to their team score of 319, finishing first and second, respectively. Heydt scored 81, and Huettl was the medalist with a score of 72. Huettl has come out on top of each event she has performed in the early part of the season.

Bismarck St. Mary finished second with a score of 355, and Minot High and Bismarck Legacy tied a scorecard of 364 for third and fourth, respectively.

Dickinson's pursuit of development in their game has been a driving factor for the hosting team. Although none of them were able to break 90 on the day, head coach John Spry believes they are headed in the right direction but need to be less tentative in their short game.

"We let quite a few putts fall short," Spry said. "The course was a little wet; however, it's in fantastic shape considering the amount of play over the weekend with the API [Annual Invitational Golf Tournament]. The ground crew did an outstanding job."

Dickinson capped at 392, behind Williston's 389 and ahead of Watford City, which finished with a 468 team score.

Sophomore Kyndall Peterson led the Midgets, carding a 91 to tie for 20th place overall. She struggled early on the course, but a resilient mindset saw her take charge on the back nine. She completed the course with two birdies.

Junior Tristyn Baumgartner was Dickinson's No. 2 with a score of 98. Spry said that the senior has been consistent this year in her effort. She quickly moves on from a mistake and is unwavering from her goals.

Rayden Peters, another returning upperclassman, had a scorecard of 100, placing her just short of breaking into double digits.

Underclassmen Gracie Dazell, Mikaylla Schwindt, and Aurora Pilalis rounded out the Dickinson team. Freshman Dazell carded a 103, while Schwindt and Pilalis tied each other with a 105.

Schwindt fell just slightly below her potential, typically making the top four, but Spry expressed only confidence in his underclassmen and said that Pialis is trending in the right direction.

The Midgets will be back on the green next week in Bismarck to participate in Century's Invite on August 29.

Team Scores: 1. Mandan, 319; 2. St. Mary's, 355; 3. Minot High, 364; 4. Legacy, 364; 5. Century, 377; 6. Jamestown, 382; 7. Minot North, 382; 8. Williston, 389; 9. Dickinson, 392; 10. Watford City, 468; Bismarck High, Inc.

Dickinson: Kyndall Peterson, 91; Tristyn Baumgartner, 98; Rayden Peters, 100; Grace Dazell, 103; Mikayla Schwindt, 105; Aurora Pialis, 105.