New Sites, But Champs Back to Defend Golf Titles

The NSAA Girls State Golf Tournament kicks off fall sports championship season on Monday across three sites around the state. The two-day, 36-hole event will crown team and individual champions on Tuesday. Here is a quick look at the top players and teams in each class.

Class A

New host: Riverside Golf Club in Grand Island will host this year after a few years absence when all three tournaments were contested in Grand Island. In the Heartland Conference tournament, Lincoln East edged Lincoln Southwest for the team title at the course.

Last year: Lincoln Southwest shot a two-day total of 645 at Norfolk Country Club to defeat Lincoln East by ten shots. Millard North was 16 shots back with Omaha Marian a distant fourth. Current Indiana golfer Nicole Kolbas was in the individual champion for the third consecutive season with a two-day total of 151 in difficult weather conditions.

What To Watch For: With just seven returning medalists and a new individual title up for grabs, the group of contenders starts with Southwest and East who have battled each other all season. And, right with that group is Omaha Marian who, along with East, grabbed the top-5 medals at the district meet last week. Those three schools — in the Class A team format — will be paired together on Monday.

The individual competition is a wild card, no doubt. The top two returners from last year, Elly Honnens (Lincoln East) and Lauryn Ball (Lincoln Southwest) were second and fourth, respectively. Last week at districts, they were both third on their team. They play together at 10:30 on Monday with Marian’s Madison Murnan who was 12th in 2022.

Other returning medalists: Eden Larson (Southwest), Isabella Elgert (East), Cali Wisdom (Millard North) and Hailey Bayne (East).

Team Qualifiers: Elkhorn South, Gretna, Kearney, Lincoln East, Lincoln Pius X, Lincoln Southwest, Norfolk, North Platte, Millard West, Omaha Marian, Omaha Westside, Papillion-LaVista South. Day One Tee Times

Class B

New host: While not technically new, Scottsbluff Country Club will be a new host this year as the Scottsbluff-Gering bid changes courses each season. Last year’s Class B meet was at Monument Shadows in Gering.

Last year: Omaha Duchesne’s consistency in the team race was a bit overshadowed by Scottsbluff’s Anna Kelley’s final nine 31 which stole the individual title from Elkhorn North’s Julia Karmazin. Duchesne put all five of their golfers in the top-11 to take the team title by eight shots over Scottsbluff, which rode Kelley’s two-day total of 141. Karmazin finished two shots back at 143.

What To Watch For: Karmazin is certainly the headliner here. The Creighton commit won the Nebraska Girls Junior Amateur title this summer and has had a stellar fall, most recently winning the B-2 district title at Rivers Wild in Blair by six shots with a 75.

Duchesne and Elkhorn North — in the same, loaded B-2 district — appear to again be the front runners in the team race as they shot 342 and 352 respectively. Duchesne, consistent again, grabbed four of the 10 medals at districts.

The next best district team score was Beatrice’s 358 and the Lady Orange, with Kiera Paquette’s 74 at districts, could factor in the team race. Paquette was sixth at state last year. Also, Scottsbluff’s 398 winning team score at McCook’s Heritage Hills in 40-50 mile per hour wins may need to be overlooked. They could contend on their home course.

Other returning medalists: Tia Phaisan (Waverly), Whitney Dahir (Duchesne), June Mullen (Duchesne), Nelli Heinold (Scottsbluff), Kathleen Kelley (Duchesne). Adams Central’s Peyton Hartman (6th) and Sydney O’Dey (9th) were Class C medalists last year.

Team Qualifiers: Adams Central, Beatrice, Bennington, Elkhorn North, McCook, Norris, Northwest, Omaha Duchesne, Scottsbluff, Seward, Waverly, York. Day One Tee Times

Class C

New host: Lake Maloney Golf Club south of North Platte will host Class C girls this time around after a stay in Columbus. It had previously hosted Class C girls as well as being the host of the Class D boys meet in the spring. Playing at just short of 5,100 yards and with crop of top players coming to North Platte we could see scoring records if the predicted good weather holds.

Last year: Broken Bow won their third straight state title in style by 34 shots over conference mate Minden as they were just the third team in Class C history to have a two-day team score under 700. The two teams have battled all season, with Minden defeating Bow at the Awarii Dunes Challenge, but the Indians have managed to win every other time out — including a two-shot victory at districts.

What To Watch For: The team race between Bow and Minden could be the calling card for the two days and we’ll be curious if Scotus — with a team 363 at districts — can join the mix. But the individual competition could get all of the attention anyway.

Last year, Lincoln Christian’s Olivia Lovegrove obliterated the field with a two-day 143 total that defeated Broken Bow’s Camryn Johnson by 13 shots. Minden’s KayLynn Jorgensen and 2021 champion Cecilia Arndt were third and fourth. How good is this group for Class C? All four qualified for the top-16 match play bracket this summer at the Nebraska Girls Junior Match Play championship in Wayne.

No girls player has ever broken 70 at Lake Maloney in the state tournament (or at any course for that matter) but with the talent assembled this week, it’s certainly in the realm of possibility.

Other returning medalists: Taylor Schaaf (Broken Bow), Molly Custer (Broken Bow), Kaylin Gaughenbaugh (O’Neill), Mia Hiebner (Heartland).

Team Qualifiers: Auburn, Broken Bow, Fullerton, Grand Island CC, Lincoln Christian, Minden, O’Neill, Oakland-Craig, Ogallala, Perkins County, Platteview, Scotus Central Catholic, Valentine, Wayne, West Holt. Day One Tee Times