By Tony Chapman and Terry Douglass – For the Nebraska School Activities Association
In one of the warmest girls golf seasons in recent memory, frost delays occurred at all three sites across the state on Monday and Tuesday for the 2024 girls state golf tournament. However, the late starts had little impact on the overall event. The team races all came down to the final few holes on Tuesday afternoon.
In the team races, Omaha Marian, Omaha Duchesne Academy and Wayne were crowned team champions. The individual champions were Eden Larson (Lincoln Southwest), Whitney Dahir (Omaha Duchesne) and Kara Suchsland (Minden).
Congratulations to the 2024 NSAA State Girls Golf Individual Champions! #nebpreps 🏌️♀️🥇
Class A: Eden Larsen, Lincoln Southwest
Class B: Whitney Dahir, Omaha Duchesne Academy
Class C: Kara Suchsland, Minden pic.twitter.com/zFANoUmT9A
— NSAA (@nsaahome) October 16, 2024
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Class A: Omaha Marian takes 12th title; Southwest’s Larson repeats
Omaha Marian captured the program’s 12th state championship and Lincoln Southwest’s Eden Larson defended her individual title Tuesday in the NSAA Class A girls state golf tournament at Riverside Golf Club in Grand Island.
Entering the day with a five-shot lead over Lincoln Southwest, the Crusaders were able to extend their advantage to double digits before the Silver Hawks made a charge.
“Lincoln Southwest just would not go away and they closed to about five shots with about five holes left and it was game on,” Marian coach Robert Davis said. “It got really nervy there for a while, but we got a couple of good bounces and built our lead back up again. I wasn’t really sure of anything until we got through that stretch.”
In the end, the Crusaders carded a second-round 318 to finish the two-day, 36-hole tournament at 643 — 24 shots ahead of second place Omaha Westside (667). Lincoln Southwest and Lincoln Southeast tied for third at 670.
The win gives Marian’s girls golf program 12 Class A state championships and its first since 2010. Only Lincoln Southeast with 13 team titles has more.
“There are 32 Class A schools and we’re 30th in size,” Davis said. “So for us to be able to compete at the level we do and be able to take on these big schools like this is really a testament to our girls.”
Senior Madison Murnan shot 154 and finished third to lead the Crusaders. Marian sophomore Lauren Murnan tied for fifth (161), sophomore Delaney Schmitz tied for 10th (163), freshman Sloan Mackintosh tied for 14th (166) and sophomore Lucy Peterson finished 18th (168).
Winning the state championship capped off an undefeated season for Marian, which won eight invitational titles including the Class A, District 1 crown before prevailing again at state.
“Having a perfect season, that’s the dream, right?” said Davis, who is in his 10th season as Marian’s coach. “We did it with our depth. We have seven or eight girls at the varsity level and we rotated them in and when we did have a bad day, we always had somebody who would fill in with a great score.”
After winning her first individual state championship in a playoff last year as a sophomore, Larson defended her title in less-dramatic fashion. The junior followed a 2-over-par 74 in Monday’s first round with a 1-over 73 to finish at 147 and beat runner-up Ansley Giesselmann of Fremont by three strokes.
“Last year, I wasn’t nervous, but this year I was,” said Larson, who began the second round with a two-shot lead and carded three birdies against four bogeys. “I was in a good position and as long as I didn’t blow up at all, I knew I was good.
“Last year, it was more exciting because of the playoff. This year, it was pretty good still.”
Larson closed her junior season by capturing medalist honors at five consecutive tournaments. She said her game truly began rounding into shape at the midseason point
“I was working on my swing and I just felt like it got a lot better at that point,” Larson said. “I was playing a lot better than I had been. I just worked really hard through the summer and during the fall.”
Winning back-to-back titles gives Larson an opportunity to join some elite company. While Angie Wilson of Lincoln Southeast (1985-1988) and Danielle Lemek of Doniphan-Trumbull (2008-2011) are Nebraska’s only four-time individual state champions, Larson could join
Susan Roll of Chadron (1982-84) and Nicole Kolbas of Lincoln Pius X (2020-222) as three-time winners.
“I think it would be amazing, (winning) three times,” Larson said. “It would just be very exciting.”
– Terry Douglass
Congratulations to Omaha Marian High School – the 2024 NSAA Class A State Girls Golf Champions! #nebpreps pic.twitter.com/xopJBASYDN
— NSAA (@nsaahome) October 15, 2024
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Class B: Duchesne’s 11th title a squeaker
Over two days at Monument Shadows Golf Course in Gering, Omaha Duchesne and Elkhorn North took 1,409 shots that counted in the team race.
The Class B state title came down to a single shot. And, while if you were there you may think it came down to the final hole golf is a team game and the first hole Monday turned out just as important as Tuesday afternoon for the Cardinals.
“It was just an amazing day, the conditions were very difficult with the winds,” Duchesne head coach Jeff Nielsen said. “It was a day where at any time with the wind and the pressure that it can go sideways.
“We tell our kids every shot matters and this tournament was a perfect example of that. I was just really proud of the team and how they fought.”
Led by medalist Whitney Dahir and a fifth place finish from sophomore Kasha Stohlberg, Duchesne made up ground on Tuesday with a 349 team score that matched the Wolves low from Monday. No other teams were under 360 for either of the two days.
After an 86 on Monday, Stohlberg’s 84 was a career low.
“To do what she did the last two days was a testament to her hard work this season,” Nielsen said. “She really did a great job of keeping the ball in play.”
One behind to start the day after an opening 82, Dahir was chasing Elkhorn North’s Reese Gloystein and Norris’ Natalie Shield who opened with 81.
Dahir prevailed with consistency as she made 15 pars and just three bogeys on Tuesday. Her 75 was the round of the tournament by four shots ahead of Scottsbluff’s Addison Peck who had a day two 79 to finish second at 163; six behind Dahir.
“An amazing round of golf,” Nielsen said of Dahir’s 75. “She made a decision last night to not hit a single driver today. She played irons off every tee, put it on the green and just two-putted most of the day.”
Shield shot 86 to finish third and led the Titans to a third place team finish. Elkhorn North had three medalists led by Chelsea Mahloch’s fourth place finish.
It was Duchesne’s 11th state championship in school history – tying them with Minden for second all-time – and seventh since 2015.
Congratulations to Omaha Duchesne Academy – the 2024 NSAA Class B State Girls Golf Champions! #nebpreps pic.twitter.com/A4SMMbzFXH
— NSAA (@nsaahome) October 15, 2024
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Class C: To the end, Wayne’s “best ever” edges Minden
The team drama was just as high south of North Platte at Lake Maloney Golf Club between Wayne and Minden in Class C.
With both teams on the course and each with a pair of golfers in the final two groups, the Blue Devils survived. Also by a single shot. And also in comeback fashion.
Wayne trailed the Whippets by six shots (346-352) entering the final day. They chased down and won the title with depth getting a pair of 82s and a pair of 90s. Their second day 344 and two-day total of 696 was the best Blue Devils in school history by 24 shots.
“It was just a really perfect two days,” Wayne coach Josh Johnson said. “Minden is such a great program with such good kids, good coaches and amazing fans. We knew it would take the best we could possibly do and it might not still be enough.
“It was just great competition throughout the tournament.”
Turns out, Wayne’s best was just enough. Their scores from Monday and Tuesday were their second and third lowest of the season.
Senior Joslyn Johnson, the coach’s daughter, added an 82 to her opening round 84 to finish fifth. Carli Canham, who led the Devils on Monday with a 78, added a 90 to finish tied for 6th with Scotus’ Quinn VunCannon.
But it was senior Charli Sievers who came up big for Wayne. After opening with 98 on Monday she came back on Tuesday morning with a front nine 39 and 82 overall to earn a 13th place medal and give Wayne a chance.
“Quite honestly, I was more proud of Charli’s 98 yesterday,” coach Johnson noted. “She didn’t have her best, but she kept battling. Then, today she came out and parred the first two holes and I just left her alone the rest of the day.”
Wayne’s team title overshadowed Minden’s 1-2 finish from Kara Suchsland and KayLynn Jorgensen. Suchsland won the individual title with a pair of 77s for a two-shot win over Jorgensen and Heartland’s Mia Hiebner. Hiebner’s even-par 72 on Tuesday featured three birdies and three bogies and was the low round of the tournament.
It was the third title in school history for the Blue Devils who won Class B in 1988 and Class C in 2000.
Congratulations to Wayne High School – the 2024 NSAA Class C State Girls Golf Champions! #nebpreps pic.twitter.com/4GiIAd10Cq
— NSAA (@nsaahome) October 16, 2024
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Notable: Back where it started. Omaha Marian’s 12th title also came 50 years after they won the first ever Nebraska Class A championship in 1974. It was the same for Duchesne which took the first three Class B titles from 1976-78. Girls golf was one class for the first two years and added Class C in 1998, when Minden won that title.
Special moment. Wayne coach Josh Johnson has been the girls golf coach for 17 years, almost all of senior Joslyn’s life. So, it was an added memory to place a team title around his daughters neck on Tuesday afternoon. “It was a pretty special moment. I asked so many coaches who have done this (coach their daughter) if it was worth it and they all tell me it is. It was. We have spent so much time on the course together.”
Distinguished Service Awards: At the conclusion of Tuesday’s play, the NSAA awarded Distinguished Services Awards to four volunteers who have provided long-time service to girls golf in Nebraska. Those receiving awards were rules officials Dr. Skip Gist, Gary Austin and Tom Dahl as well as the Nebraska Golf Association’s Ben Vigil.
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Tony Chapman is a freelance writer based in Grand Island. He has written for multiple Nebraska daily and weekly newspapers. His weekly Harvest Sports Newsletter covers a wide variety of Nebraska prep sports. Terry Douglass is a freelance writer also based in Grand Island. He is the former sports editor for The Grand Island Independent.