E-S breaks its way into 100th WIAA State Golf Meet
The breaks keep going the Eleva-Strum's golf team's way.
After barely qualifying for the WIAA sectional meet, winning a tie-breaker for fourth in the regional meet, No. 9 ranked Eleva-Strum won another team tie-breaker, this time over No. 6 ranked Cochrane-Fountain City, to finish second in the Pirates own Division 3 sectional held last week Tuesday, June 2 at Trempealeau Mountain Golf Course and qualify for the 100th State Boys Golf Meet this Monday and Tuesday, June 8-9 at University Ridge Golf Course in Madison.
E-S tied C-FC at 331 as Alma/Pepin won its first-ever sectional title with an 18-hole score of 318. Cardinal senior Garrett Gullicksrud finished second individually with a score of 73 just two strokes behind meet medalist junior Anders Johansen with a 71. In fact E-S didn't have a single golfer other than Gullicksrud in the top 11 while the Pirates had three golfers finish in the 80s as sophomores Asher Franson shot an 84, Hunter Pedersen shot an 85 and Nolan Semingson shot and 89 while sophomore Carson Kulig finished with a score of 93. C-FC's No. 4 and No. 5 golfers both shot in the upper 90s to create the tie. Cochrane-FC's Parker Kujak, a junior, had to qualify as an individual as he finished fourth with a score of 77.
Osseo-Fairchild sophomore Ty Skoyen finished ninth individually in this second straight sectional meet. He shot a score of 79. Also qualifying for state individually from the C-FC sectional are freshman Luke Holthe of Hillsboro/Royall and senior Judson Poad of Barneveld. Both won a tie-breaker shooting 78s.
Competition begins for Division 1 at 7 a.m. Monday and at noon for Divisions 2 and 3. Play resumes Tuesday at 7 a.m. for Divisions 2 and 3 and at noon for Division 1. Tee time assignments for Monday's play are posted on the boys golf page of the WIAA website. Ticket prices for the State Boys Golf Championships are $9 per day plus online fees, and they are available for purchase on-line on the WIAA website through GoFan, the WIAA ticketing partner.
This will be Eleva-Strum's 14th trip to the state golf meet which is the most of the schools in the field, which also includes No. 1 ranked Kohler, Ladysmith, Mishicot, No. 2 Prentice, No. 3 Fond du Lac St. Mary’s Springs and No. 4 Three Lakes/Phelps. The Cardinals last state title came in 2008.
In the other Division 3 sectional held at Winter's Big Fish Golf Course, Fall Creek senior Evan Seidling finished 27th individually shooting a 91 and junior Owen Walden was 32nd shooting a 93. Prentice and Ladysmith advanced from this sectional to state along with senior Landon Obermueller of Glenwood City and seniors Andrew Buck and Brandon Wagner of Turtle Lake/Clayton
