State tournaments set for Oct. 2-3 and Oct. 5-6 at Brandon, Rapid City and Sioux Falls
Next week is a big week for South Dakota's high school boys golfers and girls tennis players.
The state boys golf tournaments are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday at the Brandon Golf Course (Class AA) and Hart Ranch Golf Course in Rapid City (Class A).
The state girls tennis tournaments will be held in Sioux Falls on Monday and Tuesday (Class A) and Thursday and Friday, Oct. 5-6 (Class AA).
Here's a look at each of the area tournaments:
Class AA Boys Golf
BRANDON — The thing to watch in this tourney is whether or not Watertown can nail down its first state golf championship since 1971.
The Arrows have won seven consecutive tournaments, including their third-consecutive Eastern South Dakota Conference championship last week.
Defending state champion Harrisburg has played right with the Arrows all season and should be in the mix along with Pierre and Sioux Falls O'Gorman. They were the four top teams in last year's state tourney, which Harrisburg won with a 587 score. Pierre was second at 595, Watertown third at 596 and O'Gorman fourth at 599.
"We're in the same position as we were last year," said Watertown head coach Corey Neale. "We had a close ESD meet with Harrisburg and Pierre, we got them there but then they both got us at state. We're looking to make sure that doesn't repeat itself this year."
Part of the reason a similar battle is expected in the team race is that 23 of the 26 medalists from last year, including defending champion and sophomore Riley Christensen of Harrisburg and Watertown senior Jake Olson, the 2020 state champion who took second last fall.
Junior Jayden Scott (tied for fourth), senior Parker Schultz (tied for 7th), sophomore Charlie Swift (tied for 13th) and senior Will Parsons (tied for 19th) are returning state medalists for Harrisburg.
Watertown's cast included juniors Jaden Solheim and Kaden Rylance (each tied for seventh) and Ty Lenards (tied for 19th). Rylance was a state runner-up in 2020.
Juniors Nicklaus Bothun, Lincoln Houska, Sawyer Sonnenschein, Jack Barlett and Luke Olson all had top-25 finishes for Pierre in 2021.
Neale's squad will include junior Gabe Norberg and freshman Johnny Lake.
"State is going to be a tough, competitive two days," said Neale. "It's going to take our best for two days to be able to bring home the state title. The guys are ready."
Play begins at 9 a.m. Central both Monday and Tuesday. Golfers are scheduled to play 18 holes each day. The top six teams and 25 individuals receive awards.
Class A Boys Golf
RAPID CITY — While a tight battle is expected for team honors in Class AA, defending champion Vermillion could again run with the Class A title.
The Tanagers shot 614 and recorded a 24-shot victory over Aberdeen Roncalli in last year's state tournament and returns four state medalists: sophomore Trey Hansen (fourth), sophomore Cooper Girard (tied for 9th), junior Carter Hansen (tied for 12th) and junior Karson Preister (tied for 24th).
Eighteen of the 25 state medalists are back, including defending champion Keeton Newborg of Tea Area. The senior shot a 1-over 145 for a three-shot win over Trey Even of West Central and Dakota Munger of Chamberlain. Even has graduated, but Munger is back to make another run at a title as a senior.
Dakota Valley and Sioux Valley tied for third in last year's state tourney tied for third at 645 in 2022 and could join Region 1A champion Groton Area and others as contenders. Somebody could either challenge Vermillion or at least lead the charge for second place.
Returning area state medalists include Aberdeen Roncalli freshman Finn Anderson (eighth), Sioux Valley junior (Tate Steffensen (tied for 14th) and Milbank sophomore and Region 1A champion Jonathan DeBoer (tied for 24th).
Play begins at 19 a.m. Central both Monday and Tuesday. Golfers are scheduled to play 18 holes each day. The top six teams and 25 individuals receive awards.
More: Monday's other sports highlights include ESD tennis, Region 1A boys golf and Miller cross country
Class A Girls Tennis
SIOUX FALLS — The tournament opens Monday at 8 a.m. with matches at Tomar and McKennan Park before finishing on Tuesday, all at Tomar Park. Play is also scheduled to start at 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
Pierre is the defending champion. The Governors won in 2022 with 506.5 points, followed by St. Thomas More (397), Sioux Falls Christian (388), Huron (293) and Rapid City Christian (258).
Players to watch include St. Thomas More junior Athena Francilisco, who won the first flight of singles and teamed with junior Shriva Gangineni to win the second flight of doubles. Senior Allison Hill of Rapid City Christian (third flight), senior Jocelyn Corrales of Pierre (fourth flight) and eighth-grader Anna Westenberg of Sioux Falls Christian (fifth flight) also won singles titles last fall. Corrales and fellow senior Caitlin Ott won the third flight of doubles.
Some players have changed singles flights and/or have new doubles partners this fall.
Area teams Aberdeen Roncalli and Milbank are among the 11 teams in the field. Roncalli finished 10th (126.5) and Milbank 11th (76) last fall.
Roncalli's contingent included Katherine Kretchman, River Haskell, Raley Haskell, Anna Mitzel, Keira Rivett and Josie Mitzel in singles and Kretchman-River Haskell, Rivett-Raley Haskell and the Mitzels in doubles. River Haskell was sixth in the second flight of singles last fall.
Milbank's lineup features Hope Karels, Ashlynn Lamp, Jenna Korstjens, Amelia Pederson, Caitlyn Frerichs and Jericho Jones in singles and Karels-A. Lamb, Korstjens-Pederson and Charlotte Swanson-Payton Lamp in doubles. Karels was fifth in the first flight and Pederson sixth in the third flight of singles last fall.
Class AA Girls Tennis
SIOUX FALLS — Play begins at 8 a.m. Thursday at Tomar and McKennan Park and Lincoln High school with the final day on Friday to be held at Tomar Park.
Rapid City Stevens walked away with the state title last fall with 479 points, followed by Sioux Falls O'Gorman at 370, Sioux Falls Lincoln 379 and Watertown 275.5. Aberdeen Central finish sixth at 229.
"Sioux Falls Lincoln is the favorite along with Stevens and probably Sioux Falls Jefferson," said Watertown head coach Ryan Zink. "I know our girls will give it their all."
Watetown's lineup features sophomore Leyla Meester, the defending state champion at No. 2 singles; juniors Ellie Zink, Faith Berg, Sophia Nichols and Cayda Weiss along with senior Karlie Schulte. Zink-Meester, Berg-Nichols and Weiss-Schulte team up in doubles. Meester was also part of second-flight doubles champions in 2021 along with graduate Jaida Young.
Aberdeen Central, who won the ESD tournament on Tuesday over Mitchell and Watertown, has a lineup that includes junior Julia Knie, sophomore Avery Tennant, senior Laney Gonsor, senior Livia Douglas, junior Reese Comstock and junior Riley O'Keefe in singles. Knie-Tennant, Gonsor-Douglas and Comstock-senior Olivia Geier are partners in doubles.
Senior Avery Summers of Jefferson (first flight), junior Charlotte Crawford of Lincoln (second flight) and sophomore Arabella Scott of Stevens (fourth flight) each won singles championships last fall.
Some players have changed singles flights and/or have new doubles partners this fall.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: An early look at the upcoming state boys golf and girls tennis tourneys
