Lincoln East with an improbable title, Kearney Catholic nets a three-peat; Elkhorn North, Creighton get first titles in school history
By Tony Chapman
For the Nebraska School Activities Association
If you are into drama on the golf course, the Nebraska School Activities Association’s final championship event of the 2024-25 school year – in boys golf – provided plenty. The event ended Thursday at four courses across the state in Columbus, Grand Island, Kearney and Gering.
There were playoffs in three of the four classes for the individual championships with Lincoln East’s Max Moss, Elkhorn North’s Andrew Nietfeldt and Creighton’s Calvin Willmes all winning their gold medals in extra holes. Kearney Catholic’s Nash Malone – after losing in a playoff last year – earned his title in regulation over teammate Tate Redinger.
Team champions were Lincoln East, by two shots over Omaha Westside, in Class A. Elkhorn North in Class B, Kearney Catholic in Class C and Creighton in Class D.
CLASS A: Lincoln East, Moss take improbable titles
If he’s being honest, Lincoln East sophomore Max Moss didn’t really know what to say.
He trudged up Kearney Country Club’s 18th hole the Class A individual champion – after beating good friend Miles Elgert of Lincoln Southeast on the first playoff hole – and about 30 minutes earlier his par on the same hole had clinched the Spartans improbable state title over two-time champion Omaha Westside by two shots.
“I am in disbelief,” Moss said, after winning his first-ever high school tournament. “We were kind of the underdog coming into this so it’s good that we came out on top. Just so happy with how I played, everything really came together.”
Moss was unflappable on a perfect, sort of overcast day. So were the Spartans, who fired a two-day total of 580.
“Max was just great today and yesterday,” Spartan co-coach Lee Plath said. “It took him shooting what he did both days to do it for the team, which is what we were most concerned about, but to have him finally put it all together and see that work pay off is fantastic.
“He was the lowest man. Nothing fluky about that.”
Off early on Wednesday in the team format, the Spartans – as the fourth-seed – did not play with top seeds Westside, Lincoln Southeast and Creighton Prep. No matter. Behind Moss’ 68 and Carter Honnens’ 69, the Spartans set the pace with a 288, good for a four-shot lead over Westside and six on Southeast.
Just a few holes in on Thursday, it turned into a two-horse team race.
East jumped to an early lead, before Westside came barrelling back in the middle of the round. They made six birdies on holes 7 and 8 to claim the lead and the two teams were tied at 8-over par heading to the final nine holes.
The Spartans then reclaimed the lead with a bogey free start to the first five holes of the back nine and added five birdies – one a chip-in by Moss from over the 12th green – to forge ahead. But, by the 17 hole when reigning US Junior Amateur champion Trevor Gutschewski of Westside made birdie and Moss made a bogey it was all even to the 18th.
At the time, Moss and Elgert were one clear of Gutschewski in the individual race. A perfect drive set Moss up from 150 yards, while Gutschewski found deep rough but was about 50 yards ahead and under a small tree.
“I had no idea,” Moss said, of the tight team race. “It was just a perfect 7-iron for me, hit it in the middle of the green and two putt. That was all I was thinking about.”
Down one – and his team now down one after the previous group had finished 18 – Gutschewski had to get aggressive. His approach shot went over the green and he made double bogey to finish fifth.
“We were really focused on the team race,” Plath said. “With Carter and Zach (Erstad) playing well I thought we had a chance with how Max was playing. We just didn’t know on the last hole. Are we tied, what was going on? We just had to execute a few good shots. (Max’s) approach shot to the middle of the green was fantastic.”
Elgert, who tied with Creighton Prep’s Tommy Kelley and Kearney’s Owen Bartee with 4-under 67s and the best round of the tournament, scrambled for par on 18, making an 8-footer to force the playoff with Moss for the individual gold medal.
Honnens tied Kelley for third place at 139, while Erstad tied for 15th at 7-over 149 for the Spartans.
CLASS B: Wolves, Nietfeldt get first titles in Class B
On a day when the weather improved and the scoring went down in Gering at Monument Shadows, Elkhorn North was propped up by their first-day team score of 307 that gave them an 8-shot overnight advantage.
With Thursday’s 298 – the second best round of the day – the Wolves nabbed their first state title in school history over conference mate Norris, who shot a 297 in the final round after opening with 320 on Wednesday.
“We are kind of still in shock,” Elkhorn North coach Calvin Thompson said as the team traveled down Interstate 80 on their 6-plus hour return home. “Coming in we just knew there were so many good teams and anyone could win it. Our kids were sharp and focused from the moment they got on the property.
“They just gave it all they had and executed our game plan to a T.”
On a Wednesday that Thompson called “as tough a day as I have ever experienced on a golf course” the Wolves got a 2-under par 70 from junior Andrew Neitfeldt as the best round of the day by three shots. Players battled a constant rain and when it finally stopped, Thompson said, “everything was still soaked.”
Neitfeldt worked overtime against fellow junior Jaxson Hinze of York for the individual crown. They both finished at 3-under par 139 in regulation after Hinze’s 68 on Thursday tied Gretna East’s Will Barth for the low round of the tournament. Barth finished third.
Playing the first hole in the playoff, Nietfeldt won with par after Hinze hit his approach long and could not get up-and-down.
“Andrew has been pretty consistently around par for us since mid-season,” Thompson said. “He played really well, but it’s also something we have been getting used to.”
Sophomore Kaden Ellis shot a day-two 73 for a 150 total to finish sixth for the Wolves and senior Tyler Neitfieldt – Andrew’s older brother – was ninth with a 153. The older Nietfeldt fought back with 3-over par golf over the final 27 holes after opening the tournament in 42.
Norris, which won titles in 2022 and 2024 and was second in 2023, finished second again. Junior Cooper Rice was 11th (154) and Landon Moore and Cale Baker (155) were just out of the medals tying for 16th.
Thompson said the first title carries a special feeling.
“We talked a lot this week with our kids about how much effort this takes and all the people that become involved,” Thompson said. “There was so much that built up to this. It’s a special group of seniors, a special group of kids.”
CLASS C: A three-peat for Kearney Catholic; Malone’s hot putter nabs gold
Trailing by a single shot after the opening round of the Class C tournament at Jackrabbit Run in Grand Island, Kearney Catholic turned on the afterburners to claim a third straight state championship.
Junior Nash Malone won the individual title with a 4-under par 68 and 5-under total to defeat teammate Tate Redinger by a single shot. Redinger had a 3-under par 69 on a Thursday that was interrupted for just over 90 minutes by a rain and thunderstorm delay.
In addition to the Stars setting a low team score record, Malone’s two day total of 5-under (139) was the lowest in relation to par in Class C history. Gibbon’s Rylee Reinertson had a 4-under (136) at Mahoney Golf Course in 2014.
The hot play from the Stars gave them a school record 291 for the day and a Class C tournament record of 593 that tops Grand Island Central Catholic’s previous record from 2004.
“I think the kids have a pretty big appreciation for (the three-peat),” Star coach Darrell Dunham said. “Last year, the rain shortened victory left a hollow taste in our mouth. We were glad to win, but to go for three there was a lot of pressure.
“It was hard, but they played great.”
At two-over with three holes to play on Wednesday, Malone birdied his final three holes for a 71. He then made five birdies on the front nine on Thursday – with Redinger adding four – and the Stars were in control of the team race.
Redinger was second last year, losing a playoff to St. Paul’s Sam Wells.
“It’s definitely a good feeling after getting second last year,” Malone said. “It was good to finally get one this year. I just made a lot more putts and I hit the ball a little closer. I hit good approach shots into the green today.”
Archbishop Bergan, finished second with a 602 team total firing consecutive 301 totals. It is the fourth best Class C team total in state tournament history. Freshman Jackson Luebbe was third for the Knights at 3-under 141. Boston Bojanski was seventh and Trey Mooney ninth for Bergan.
For Kearney Catholic, 2023 state champion Jackson Dunham tied for 15th at 10-over 154.
“Our conversation with the kids was to just keep doing what you are doing,” Dunham said, after being down a shot. “You are all playing beautifully. Maybe some guys didn’t play their best yesterday, but they came back and played amazingly well today.”
CLASS D: Creighton gets sweep as Wilmes survives four-hole playoff
Turns out the Class D state championship was twice as nice for Creighton and junior Calvin Wilmes.
Despite giving up a six-shot lead with just four holes to go, Wilmes survived a four-hole playoff with Cambridge junior Micah Gerlach to take the Class D individual championship after both players shot 10-over 154 at Quail Run in Columbus.
Wilmes is the third state champion for the Bulldogs in school history but it was the first team title for Creighton which shot the low team round both days. Their 683 total was 17 shots better than Loomis, which edged North Central by a shot and Johnson-Brock by two shots for the runner-up spot.
“We didn’t think we played very well yesterday except for Calvin,” Creighton coach Daryl Ladeaux said. “We just didn’t let it get us too far down and then today we didn’t start well either. North Central and Loomis were getting closer.
“But we pulled it together on the back nine.”
Every Bulldog, except Willmes, improved on their second trip around Quail Run.
Willmes seemed to have full control of the individual race until the final four holes. He finished bogey, bogey, double bogey, double bogey to Gerlach’s four straight pars and both were in on 154. He won the individual gold on the fourth playoff hole.
It was a range of emotions, Willmes said.
“Stressful,” he said. “Fun, but stressful.”
The first team title for the Bulldogs came without having a senior in the starting lineup.
“It’s really special,” Ladeaux said. “Our community just loves golf. The community just bought the golf course (in Creighton) and they are changing it. It’s becoming a lot better golf course for these kids to play. We have had two individual state champions, which is great, but the boys are really excited for this (team championship).
“It’s great for the community and the school.”
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.
Freelance writers Terry Dougalss (Class C) and Nick Benes (Class D) helped contribute to this report.