May 28—(Editor’s Note: This story will be updated later tonight with comments from coaches and players.)
ROCHESTER — Stewartville’s seniors remember their early years in the Tigers’ boys golf program.
Some of those years, the Tigers had teams that were hands-down talented enough to get to state and challenge for a championship.
One problem stood in their way: The Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa Wildcats.
For three consecutive years — 2021, 2022 and 2023 — Stewartville finished as the Section 1, Class 2A runner-up to PIZM, including falling by just seven total strokes in 2022, when PIZM went on to win the state championship.
That hurdle has finally been cleared, and by the slimmest of margins.
Stewartville played one of its best collective rounds of the season on Thursday, shooting a team score of 305 on the final day of the Section 1-2A meet at Northern Hills Golf Course. That gave the Tigers a two-round total of 615, good for a one-stroke victory over runner-up PIZM (615) and three shots ahead of third-place Rochester Lourdes (618).
For the first time in 33 years, the Stewartville boys golf team is headed to state.
The Tigers will tee off in the morning session on June 9 and 10 at The Ridges at Sand Creek, in Jordan.
This will mark Stewartville’s fourth-ever trip to state. Head coach Dave Honsey played on the Tigers teams that reached state in 1982 and 1983. Stewartville also qualified in 1993.
The Tigers trailed PIZM by five shots entering Thursday’s final round.
They made up those five shots, plus one more.
Stewartville golfers shot four of the top 14 rounds on Thursday, and three Tigers finished in the top eight overall.
Sophomore Isaiah Nelson led the way, tying for third individually after shooting 78-74—152. Walker and fellow senior Carson Jannsen tied for eighth, at 154. Senior Aric Cruz rounded out the team’s scoring, with an 18th-place finish (159). The team’s two non-counters on the scoreboard, junior Aidyn Voyna and senior Luke Nelson, would have counted for most teams in the field; they both finished at 160.
Walker played on the 2022 team that finished as runner-up to PIZM, as an eighth grader, while he and Jannsen played on the 2023 team.
PIZM shot a 311 Thursday to finish the two-round meet at 616, while Lourdes also made a strong push for the team title. The Eagles had the best team score of the day Thursday, at 304, which left them at 618 for the tournament.
Kasson-Mantorville sophomore Logan Johnson surged up the leaderboard in the final round. He was in 12th place and on the outside of the cut line to qualify for state after the opening round, when he shot a 7-over-par 79.
Johnson didn’t mess around on Thursday, firing an even-par 72 to finish the meet at 151 and share medalist honors with Winona junior Logan Larson, who shot the tournament’s best round, with a 71 on Thursday. That came on the heels of his 80 on Tuesday.
After recording two birdies and nine bogeys in the first round, K-M’s Johnson steadied himself and recorded five birdies and five bogeys in the final round. Three of those birdies came on the back nine, which he played in 1-under-par.
Lourdes senior Owen Hoehn finished in a tie for third place (79-73—152) to earn a trip to state.
PIZM’s Josh Scripture and Logan Schurke survived a three-way playoff with Lourdes’ Gavin Groettum to earn the final two state berths available for Section 1 players. Scripture, Schurke and Groettum tied for fifth place at 153.
SECTION 1, CLASS 2A
Final Round, Thursday
(At Northern Hills Golf Course, par 72)
INDIVIDUALS
(Top 10)
1t. Logan Johnson (K-M) 79-72—151, 1t. Logan Larson (Winona) 80-71—151, 3t. Isaiah Nelson (Stewartville) 78-74—152, 3t. Owen Hoehn (Lourdes) 79-73—152, 5t. Josh Scripture (PIZM) 73-80—153, 5t. Logan Schurke (PIZM) 77-76—153, 5t. Gavin Groettum (Lourdes) 78-75—153,
8t. Austin Walker (Stewartville) 77-77—154, 8t. Carson Jannsen (Stewartville) 78-76—154, 10t. Charlie Moeschler (Lourdes) 76-79—155, 10t. Jake Moran (PIZM) 77-78—155, 10t. Owen Cordes (PIZM) 78-77—155,
13t. Ayden Horsman (K-W) 76-80—156, 13t. Carter Holst (PEM) 81-75—156, 15t. Carson Harstad (Chatfield) 81-76—157, 15t. Lincoln Burgess (K-M) 84-73—157, 17t. Kyle Keller (Winona) 79-80—159, 17t. Casey Vermilyea (Triton) 81-78—159, 17t. Aric Cruz (Stewartville) 77-82—159, 20t. Aidyn Voyna (Stewartville) 80-80—160, 20t. Luke Nelson (Stewartville) 82-78—160, 20t. Leyton Johnson (Red Wing) 81-79—160,
23t. Landen Tully (La Crescent) 81-80—161, 23t. Brandt Hogenson (Winona) 82-79—161, 25. Josh Vossler (Lourdes) 85-77—162, 26t. Alex Ratz (Lake City) 81-82—163, 26t. Charlie Wieser (La Crescent) 80-83—163, 26t. Aden Ronken (Triton) 81-82—163, 29t. Colton Ernste (Byron) 82-82—164, 29t. Nolan Kohrs (Lake City) 84-80—164,
31t. Portland Grobe (Lake City) 83-82—165, 31t. Jag Foster (PIZM) 80-85—165, 31t. Lincoln Jones (Byron) 79-86—165, 34. Callan Bain (Byron) 80-86—166, 35t. Landon Riley (D-E) 81-86—167, 35t. Charlie Kor (Lourdes) 85-82—167, 37t. Charlie Murakami (Byron) 80-88—168, 37t. Tripp Clemens (Byron) 82-86—168, 37t. Michael Norman (Lourdes) 79-87—168, 40. Cooper Christopherson (Cotter) 169,
41t. Isaac Schurke (PIZM) 83-88—171, 41t. Lane Grobe (Lake City) 84-87—171, 41t. Carter Ask (Chatfield) 84-87-171, 44. Eamon Corcoran (Cotter) 82-93—175, 45. Mason Brommer (Byron) 83-94—177.
TEAM SCORING
(Top 4 individuals count to team total)
Stewartville (310-305—615): Isaiah Nelson 78-74—152, Austin Walker 77-77—154, Carson Jannsen 78-76—154, Aric Cruz 77-82—159, Aidyn Voyna 80-80—160, Luke Nelson 82-78—160.
Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa (305-311—616): Joshua Scripture 73-80—153, Logan Schurke 77-76—153, Jake Moran 77-78—155, Owen Cordes 78-77—155, Jag Foster 80-85—165, Isaac Schurke 83-88—171.
Lourdes (314-304—618): Owen Hoehn 79-73—152, Gavin Groettum 78-75—153, Charlie Moeschler 76-79—155, Josh Vossler 85-77—162, Charlie Kor 85-82— 167, Michael Norman 81-87—168.
Byron (321-340—661): Colton Ernste 82-82—164, Lincoln Jones 79-86—165, Callan Bain 80-86—166, Charlie Murakami 80-88—168, Tripp Clemens 82-86—168, Mason Brommer 83-94—177.