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    • 20 Favorites series continues with Class AB boys golfers
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    20 Favorites series continues with Class AB boys golfers

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    Editor’s Note: Sportswriter Roger Merriam has been compiling a series called “20 Favorites” in which he highlights some of his favorite athletes from various high school and other sports since he began working at Watertown Public Opinion in December 1984. The series features athletes from northeastern South Dakota, but some have played at colleges across the state and others have moved to other areas.

    Earlier this week we published the story ’20 Favorites’ about the female golfers from class AB and now it’s time for the boys from class AB.

    The first state high school boys golf tournament was held in 1928, and the one-class system remained in place until 1973, when a two-class system was instituted. The three-class system, with boys’ golf in Class AA and A in the fall, began in 2001 and continues to this day. The Class B boys’ golf tournament is held in the spring.

    Again, the order isn’t that important until you get down to the last 3-4 spots.

    In the next part of the series, we discuss some of the best golf girls from Watertown High School.

    20. Others

    It is impossible to name all the state medal winners (or top 25 finishers) for boys in the Class A and B region during this period, but I will mention the two-time winners here (the ones who didn’t make it).

    The group consists of Kevin Potas, Blake Wilkinson and Blaize Amdahl of Webster/Webster Area; Trent Johnson, Riley Hanson, Taylor Rymerson and Shawn Hogue of Deubrook Area; Tanner Bortnem, JF Jensen and Nate Algood of Sioux Valley; Lane Tvedt of Castlewood; Sean Zimny, Brian Rademacher and Tim Karels of Milbank; Aiden Holien, Noach Fick and Ethan Jaeger of Great Plains Lutheran.

    Tim Purintun and Jordan and Justin Docter of Britton; Rett Osthus, Todd Skyberg and Derek Helms of De Smet; Carsten Archer and Mitch Lohre of Sisseton; Eric Cyre, Travis Nelson and Carson Pedersen of Hamlin; Kaiden Weinreis of Doland; Caleb Barse of Tiospa Zina; Colin LaBrie and Michael Brown of Clark/Clark-WillowLake; and Trevor Cramer, Jason VanLiere, Tanner Preheim, Tyson Ronne, Brock Hanten and Drew Trautman of Deuel. My apologies if I forgot anyone.

    Special mention should be made of Eric Stevens and Levi Pearson of Watertown. Stevens, who placed 10th in the state B tournament while playing for Clark in 2010, is the coach at Vitality Golf Academy in Watertown. Pearson, who placed 18th on Britton’s state B championship team in 1993, is the Golf Operations Manager at Cattail Crossing Golf Course. They’ve certainly played a role in helping a number of area golfers over the years, many of whom have made or will make these “20 Favorites” lists.

    20 favorites: Links to stories highlighting the best athletes from northeastern South Dakota since 1984

    19. Jeremy Goodroad and other Deuel/Clear Lake golfers

    Over the past 40 years, a number of fine golfers have played for Deuel or Clear Lake. Some have already been named, others are still in the pipeline.

    If I understand correctly, Goodroad technically only won a medal three times from 1993 to 1997. He added two more top-25 finishes, which would now be medal-worthy. Five-time medalists are rare.

    Lincoln Swenson (2010-12) and Nathan Cramer (1988-90) both won three medals. I know Trevor Cramer, who won a medal in 1985 and 1986, and I’m guessing he’s a brother or at least a relative of Nathan’s.

    18. Webster’s Lux Family

    Brian Lux was the head coach of the Bearcats for many years and even led the Webster boys to a state runner-up finish in 2012.

    Brian’s sons Spencer and Tanner were state medalists for Webster. Spencer placed 11th to lead the second-place team and also medaled two other years.

    More: Writer Confesses He Used Modified Bat During College Baseball Game 41 Years Ago

    17. Dillon and Damian Freudenthal, Estelline

    I’m pretty sure these two boys are brothers and the most amazing thing about their accomplishments is that, if my research is correct, they are the only Estelline golfers to ever medal in the state tournament.

    The Freudenthals each won three medals between 2008 and 2010, with highlights including top-10 finishes at Dillon in 2011 (fifth) and 2012 (third).

    16. The Sipes, Erik Lambrechts and Tyler Wolff of Milbank

    The Bulldogs won the state A title in 2002 and 2005, and also finished second in the three-class system in 2003. The Sipe brothers, Lambrechts and Wolff were all members of the 2005 championship team.

    Lambrechts and Wolff both won four medals and the Sipe brothers each won three times during their high school careers.

    15. Brad Penney and other De Smet golfers

    Penney medaled four times at Class B state tournaments from 2009-2012, twice for the De Smet and De Smet/Lake Preston teams.

    The Bulldogs were pretty solid in the 90s, finishing second in 1995, 1997 and 1998. Brothers Mark (three-time state medalist) and Mike Burgers (two-time medalist) along with another three-time medalist Matt Kees.

    Matt Burgers played golf at NCAA Division I Creighton.

    14. Ben Koisti & Tadd Biederstedt, Hamlin

    Hamlin’s boys’ and girls’ golf programs have both enjoyed considerable success, with the Charger boys winning the 2015 state B title, with Koisti leading the way.

    Ben is the son of Hamlin golf coach Tim Koisti and was a four-year state medalist before continuing his career at Minnesota Crookston.

    Biederstedt won a state medal three times (2002-2004).

    13. Clay & Brandon Bak, Kasteelhout

    The Bak brothers led the Warriors to a runner-up finish in the 2006 state B tournament, with senior Clay taking fourth for the lead. He also won medals in 2005 (12th) and 2004 (sixth).

    Younger brother Brandon was only a freshman that year when he placed 16th. He also placed 16th in 2007 and 20th in 2009.

    12. Nick & Sam Hansen, Lutheran Church of the Great Plains

    The brothers were members of the 2018 GPL State B Championship, the only state championship sports team in the school’s history. The team was coached by their father Tony.

    Nick led the title team by finishing third. He also finished fourth in 2016.

    His younger brother Sam has won three medals, finishing sixth in 2019, third in 2021 and ninth in 2022. Like all Class B boys golfers, he did not compete in 2020 due to the COVID-19 shutdown of high school sports.

    11. Greg Lindholm, Milbank

    Lindholm is on the list despite having won only two state championships, but there are a few good reasons for that. As a freshman and sophomore, Milbank played in the highest division of golf (Class A) in the two-tier system.

    When the three-class system began in the fall of 2001, Lindholm finished fourth in Class A. The following year, he finished second to the Bulldogs, the state champions.

    10. Ryan Patnoe, Milbank

    Patnoe’s father owned Pine Hills Golf Club in Milbank for many years and also coached the Bulldogs’ golf teams. His sister Rachel did a story earlier this week called “20 Favorites” about female golfers in the region’s Class A and B divisions.

    Ryan Patnoe played in six Class A state championships from 2006-2011, winning four medals. He later played golf at Northern State University and coached the Aberdeen Roncalli boys to the Class A state championship in 2015 in his first year as coach.

    Patnoe finished second in the 2011 State A Tournament, third in 2010 and tied for sixth in 2009.

    9. Jared & Jason Baszler, De Smet

    The two brothers were key players for the Bulldogs in the 1990s, with Jason winning medals in both 1993 and 1994, finishing fifth in 1993.

    Jared won four medals from 1995-98 and helped the Bulldogs to state Class B state runner-up finishes in 1995, 1997 and 1998. He was runner-up in 1996, sixth in 1997 and fifth in 1998.

    Later, Jared Baszler played golf at Grinnell College in Iowa and was head coach of the South Dakota State University golf teams from 2003 to 2014.

    8. The Nielsens & Jordan Rolstad, Sisseton

    I believe again that Nate and Blake Nielsen, who both medaled at least seven times in Class A state tournaments for the Redmen, are brothers. They helped Sisseton finish second in the 2018 state tournament.

    Nate placed top 15 in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 (and finished second in the state that year). Blake medaled in 2018, 2019, and 2020.

    Rolstad surpassed that level by winning medals for 24th place in 2008, 19th place in 2009, 17th place in 2010 and sixth place in 2011. He just missed out on a medal as a senior in 2012.

    7. Devan & Dyllan Weelborg, Hamlin

    Older brother Dyllan won three state B tournament medals from 2014-16, including a ninth-place finish in 2016, and younger brother Devan appeared in six state tournaments for the Chargers (19th in 2014, eighth in 2015, fifth in 2016, third in 2017, fourth in 2018 and second in 2019).

    Dyllan later played at Evangel (Mo.) University and Devan at Dakota Wesleyan University.

    6. Steve Bull, Clear Lake

    Bull is one of the first truly great golfers in this 40-year period. He finished 13th in the 1985 state B tournament and third in 1986 before winning the 1987 state tournament.

    He helped Clear Lake to state B titles in 1986 and 1987.

    5. Jeff Hilgenberg, Milbank

    Hilgenberg helped Milbank to back-to-back Class A state titles in 1991 and 1992, competing in the two-class system against programs that are now largely Class AA.

    He finished second in the state tournament as a sophomore in 1991 and won the tournament in 1992. He ended his career with a sixth-place finish in 1993.

    4. Brad Jacobson, Hamlin

    Jacobson certainly could score higher and he can certainly compete with the best high school golfers in the region from the past 40 years.

    He won five medals at state B-level tournaments: in 1998 he was 22nd, in 1997 third, in 1996 fifth, and in 1999 and 2000 first.

    After a successful collegiate career at NCAA Division I Texas Tech, Jacobson continued to play golf at South Dakota, winning an SDGA Mid-Amateur Championship and two Mid-Amateur Two-Man Championships.

    3. Ryan Medhaug, Sisseton

    If I had to choose the two players I’ve interviewed most often and have gotten to know better technically than the others, Jacobson and Medhaug would be at the top of the list.

    Medhaug won state championships at Class A in 2010 and 2011 before finishing runner-up as a senior in 2012. He later played for NCAA Division 1 New Mexico.

    He helped Sisseton finish second as a team in the 2010 Class A state tournament.

    2. Darin & Dean Miller, Hamlin

    Here are two other golfers who excelled in the early years of my Public Opinion tenure. I believe they are brothers.

    Darin finished sixth in three B state championships in 1985 and third in 1988. Dean won B state championships in 1989 and 1991 and won three other titles (sixth in 1989 and seventh in both 1988 and 1990).

    Hamlin finished second in 1987 and won in 1991.

    1. Brett & Bart Sime, Britton

    The Britton High School boys golf teams won the Class B state title in 1989, 1990 and 1993 and, with the help of the Sime brothers, finished second in 1991.

    Brett finished 10th in the boys’ B state championship in the spring of 1988 and played Class A golf with Watertown in the fall of 1998. Simes then moved back to Britton, where he finished fifth in 1989 and won a B state championship in 1990.

    His younger brother Bart won a medal in class B all six years. He finished twelfth in 1988 and fifth in 1989 and 1990. He ended his career with a second place in 1991 and state titles in 1992 and 1993.

    Brett Sime has been Yankton’s goalkeeping coach since the late 1990s.

    Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: [email protected]

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