Spring golf in the state includes Class AA, A and B girls and Class B boys

Slowly but surely spring is coming and along with it, the high school sports season in South Dakota.

The season includes four classes of high school golf: Class AA, A and B girls as well as Class B boys.

The weather hasn't been great early but hopefully will be by the time state tournaments arrive on Monday and Tuesday, June 5-6. The Class AA girls will play at the Hillsview Golf Course in Pierre and Class A girls at the Meadowbrook Golf Course in Rapid City.

The Class B tournaments are slated for Watertown with girls playing at the Prairie Winds Golf Club and the boys at Cattail Crossing Golf Course.

To help prep for the South Dakota high school golf season, here's 41 golfers (10 in each class plus one bonus pick) to watch this spring.

Class AA Girls

Bryn Huber, Huron: The senior is one of three returning golfers who tied for third in the state tournament at the Brookings Country Club last spring. She's already a three-time state medalist, also placing 15th in 2021 and tying for 24th in 2019. There was no high school spring golf season in 2020 due to COVID-19.

Tanna Phares, Rapid City Stevens: Phares is another senior who tied for third at state last spring. Champion Reese Jansa of Harrisburg graduated and so did runner-up Lauren Sutcliffe of Sioux Falls O'Gorman. Phares also tied for seventh at state in 2021.

Allison Meyerink, Mitchell: Yes, she's another senior who also tied for third in the 2023 state tournament. She also medaled in 2021, tying for 18th.

Mattie Weidenbach, Harrisburg: Harrisburg won its first state Class AA golf championship last spring and Weidenbach, a senior who took sixth at state, is the leading returnee for the Tigers.

Riley Zebroski, Watertown: Are you getting the picture that there's a pretty talented group of seniors in Class AA? Zebroski is another senior who has been playing varsity for awhile. She placed seventh at state last spring after tying for 18th in 2021.

Emma Dohrer and Olivia Braun, Aberdeen Central: Our apologies for not giving the two Golden Eagles their own paragraph, but here's why. They're both freshmen who are two-time state medalists who recorded top-10 finishes in 2023. Dohrer took eighth after tying for 21st as a seventh-grader. Braun tied for ninth after tying for 18th as a seventh-grader.

Allison Kennedy, Spearfish: The sophomore is also a two-time state medalist. She tied for ninth last spring and tied for 12th in 2021.

Madilyn Brakke, Pierre: Brakke is another senior. She also tied for ninth in last year's state tourney.

Sara Sudenga, Sioux Falls Roosevelt: Most years there would be a lot more Sioux Falls golfers on this list, but the talent appears to be in the Eastern South Dakota or West River this spring. Sudenga, however, is another senior and two-time state medalist. She was 12th in 2022 and tied for 23rd in 2021.

Class A Girls

Olivia Sorlie, Canton: Sorlie's a senior, defending state champion and three-time medalist. That's why she's on the list and there shouldn't be a question. She won by a shot last spring at the Bakker Crossing Golf Course in Sioux Falls. She also tied for eighth in 2021 and was 12th in 2019.

Maiya Muller, Beresford: There's a good chance Sorlie and Muller could be battling for top honors again come June. Muller is also a senior, past state champion (2021) and thee-time medalist. She finished third last spring, only two shots behind Sorlie, and also placed 15th in 2019.

Rylan Horning, St. Thomas More: Only a freshman, Horning is coming off back-to-back fourth-place finishes in the state tourney.

Claire Crawford, Aberdeen Roncalli: Like Dohrer and Braun in AA, Crawford is another talented freshman golfer from Aberdeen. She tied for sixth at state last June.

Cecelia VanDenTop, Claire Lamfers and Aubrie VanBeek, Sioux Falls Christian: The Chargers will turn to VanDenTop, a junior; Lamfers, a senior, and VanBeek, a freshman, to lead their quest for a third-straight state Class A team championship. VanDenTop tied for sixth, Lamfers tied for 14th and Van Beek finished 16th in last year's state tourney.

Stephanie Carr, Emma Willert and Kaitlin Tracy, Vermillion: The Tanagers finished second in the team standings last June and return these three medalists. Carr, a junior, tied for ninth. Willert, another junior, tied for 12th and Tracy, a sophomore, tied for 17th. Carr also tied for 24th in 2021.

Class B Girls

Greta Anderson and Allison Kahler, Bison-Hettinger-Scranton: The Cardinals won their first-ever state golf championship last spring with the help of Anderson, who shared medalist honors in the tourney with Jayce Pugh of Miller, and Kahler, who tied for third five shots back. Kahler also was second and Anderson fourth in 2021. Anderson also medaled by placing 22nd in 2019.

Jayce Pugh, Miller: The freshman is a two-time state champion. She won in 2021 and shared top honors last spring with Anderson.

Kamri Kittelson, Jones County: The junior tied for third with Kahler last spring after tying for 21st in 2021.

Adisyn Indahl, Burke: Care to guess what separates Indahl from every other golfer in the state this spring? The senior is the only golfer playing this spring who as a chance to become a five-time state medalist. She tied for fifth for the second-straight year last spring, tied for seventh in 2019 and took 18th in 2018.

Allison Andrews, Deubrook Area: The Dolphins have a rich history of success in girls golf and it continued last spring when Andrews, now a senior, tied for sixth and led the team to a third-place finish.

Jadyn and Ayla McDonald, Chester Area: The two sisters led the Flyers to a runner-up finish at state last spring and are back this year. Jadyn, a freshman, tied for sixth. Ayla, a senior, is a three-time state medalist. She tied for eighth in 2022, tied for 21st in 2021 and tied for 22nd in 2019.

Brynn Roehrich, Clark-Willow Lake: Roehrich kicked off her high school career last spring by tying for eighth in the state tourney. She's back for more as a eighth-grader for the Cyclones this spring.

Olivia and Neva Mikkelsen, Potter County: This is where one the bonus selections comes in. The junior sisters finished 10th (Olivia) and 11th (Neva) in last year's state tournament. Neva also tied for 21st in 2021. That's why they both made the list.

Class B Boys

Kody Klumb, Ethan: The Class B boys' list carries an asterisk since we're mainly going off the 2022 state tourney, which was shortened to 18 holes (one day) because of rain. Klumb tied for third and is the top returning finisher from last year.

Trey Murray, Kade Stukel and Eli Fogel, Gregory: Four medalists helped lead Gregory to its first state B boys championship last spring and three of them (Murray, Stukel and Fogel) are back. Murray, a junior, tied for seventh. Stukel and Fogel, now seniors, each tied for 14th.

Lane Hodges, Howard: The senior is already a three-time state medalist. He tied for seventh in 2022 after finishing eighth in 2021 and 18th in 2019.

Dawson Hoffman, Platte-Geddes: Hoffman, another senior, medaled for the second-straight year last spring. He tied for 14th after tying for ninth in 2021.

Chet Peterson, Ipswich: Peterson, a junior, also tied for 14th last spring. He also medaled by placing 25th in 2021.

Brock Krueger and Blake Larson, Wessington Springs: The two juniors both make the cut. Krueger was one of the seven golfers who tied for 14th last spring. Larson tied for 21st, but makes the list because he also tied for fifth in 2021.

Kaiden Weinreis, Doland: Weinreis medaled at state as seventh-grader last spring, tying for 14th for the Wheelers.

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on Twitter @PO_Sports.

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Top 41 high school golfers to watch in South Dakota this spring