Storied Girls Golf Programs Set For State Tournament
By Tony Chapman – For the Nebraska School Activities Association
Three of Nebraska’s most storied girls golf programs are primed for state championship runs next Monday and Tuesday as the state tournaments begin at three sites statewide beginning at 9:00 AM local time on October 14.
Omaha Marian in Class A, Omaha Duchesne in Class B and Minden in Class C are all the leading teams heading into next week and could add to their historic championship totals by Tuesday afternoon. The trio trails only Lincoln Southeast (13) in state titles with Marian and Minden each at 11 and Duchesne at 10.
Live scoring for the event is available on the NSAA website and provided in partnership with the Nebraska Golf Association. Championship play will be over 36 holes and medals are awarded to the top-15 and ties in each class.
CLASS A: Larson, Omaha Marian title favorites
What Omaha Marian coach Robert Davis has called a “storybook season” will end on Tuesday at Grand Island’s Riverside Golf Club. The Crusaders are an unbeaten 8-0 in invitational play this fall and won the A-1 district at Omaha’s Stone Creek Golf Course by taking the top-four medals on Monday.
“We knew after last year that we would have a talented team coming into the season,” Davis said. “We played three freshmen last year and I had only played two freshmen ever in my ten years as coach. They worked really hard over the summer to get to this place.”
At Stone Creek, the Crusaders got a winning 74 from senior Madison Murnan and then three 79s from sophomores Lauren Murnan, Lucy Peterson and Delaney Schmitz. Freshman Sloan Mackintosh finished 8th. Their 311 team total was the best on district day by 21 shots.
While Marian was dominant, defending individual champion Eden Larson of Lincoln Southwest was just the same in the A-3 at Fremont Golf Club. Larson, who leads the individual differential at 2.15, fired a 72 to win by eight shots over Fremont’s Ansley Giesslemann.
Last season, Larson defeated Lincoln East’s Isabella Elgert in a playoff for the individual title after the Spartans had won the team crown with a two-day 631 total. Elgert, who is committed to Drake, was the champion at the A-2 district at The Pines Golf Club. The Spartans went 1, 2, 4, 6 in winning the team crown.
Given the forecast, it might take an even better number this year than what East fired last year.
Davis said his senior captain, who will play for Creighton in the fall, has been a steadying influence on his young, but experienced team.
“Madison has really been our No. 1 player since her sophomore year,” he said of the elder Murnan who finished fifth as a junior. “A lot of times you have leaders who are loved and other times they are respected. She is both. She’s our hardest working player, but she’ll help anyone on our team; whether that girl is her sister or one of our players trying to break 100.”
Seven total medalists will return to Riverside on Monday as well as A-4 champion Maddilyn Fineran of Norfolk who shot an 80 on her home course to take medalist honors.
District Team Champions: Lincoln East, Lincoln Southwest, Omaha Marian, Omaha Westside.
Other Team Qualifiers: Columbus, Elkhorn South, Fremont, Kearney, Lincoln Southeast, Norfolk, North Platte, Millard West,
District Individual Champions: Madison Murnan (Omaha Marian), Isabella Elgert (Lincoln East), Eden Larson (Lincoln Southwest), Maddilyn Fineran (Norfolk).
Returning Medalists: Larson, Elgert, Madison Murnan, Ansley Giesselmann (Fremont), Lauren Murnan (Omaha Marian), Lucy Peterson (Omaha Marian), Addison Shirk (Lincoln East).
Golf Course: Riverside Golf Club | 2820 Riverside Drive, Grand Island NE 68801
Host professional: Brian Fauss | Yardage: 5,454 yards | Par: 72
Course Website | Tee Times | Live Scoring
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CLASS B: Metro trio heads west to chase title
Two-time defending champion Omaha Duchesne heads back to Monument Shadows in Gering in search of a Class B record 11th state championship.
In the first year of team differential scoring in Class B, the Monarchs have been on the top of the standings since the beginning of the season. They have been chased by 2023 runner-up Elkhorn North and Gretna East.
Those three teams will be the final groups off the first tee on Monday.
Duchesne won the B-1 district on Monday at Johnson Lake with a 353 team total and placed four players in the top-10. Junior Martha Mullen shot 84 to finish second, while Whitney Dahir shot 86 to place third. Dahir was fourth last year at Scottsbluff Country Club.
Dahir is also the top returning medalist from the 2023 meet. That list includes two other district champions. Isabelle Johnson (Nebraska City) who finished 11th last year and won the B-2 district. Scottsbluff junior Addison Peck won the B-1 district and finished 15th in 2023.
The other district champion at the B-3 in York was Gretna East sophomore Ellie Henn, who shot 81. She tied for 19th as a freshman.
District Team Champions: Elkhorn North, Gretna East, Omaha Duchesne Academy, Omaha Skutt Catholic.
Other Team Qualifiers: Adams Central, Bennington, Lincoln Pius X, Norris, Northwest, Scottsbluff, Sidney, York.
District Individual Champions: Addison Peck (Scottsbluff), Isabelle Johnson (Nebraska City), Ellie Henn (Gretna East), Hannah Swanson (Lincoln Pius X).
Returning Medalists: Dahir, Annabelle Bang (Elkhorn), Peyton Hartman (Adams Central), Johnson, Peck.
Golf Course: Monument Shadows Golf Course | 2550 Clubhouse Drive, Gering NE
Host professional: Robert Thomason | Yardage: 5,337 yards | Par: 72
Course Website | Tee Times | Live Scoring
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CLASS C: Minden hopes for next step
After finishing as state runner-up to four-time champion Broken Bow the past two seasons, Minden has their eyes on the top prize in Class C this year.
The Whippets, with three medalists at the loaded C-4 district meet last week, appear to be ready to add another title to their storied program as they head to Lake Maloney undefeated this fall. A win on Tuesday would be the 12th state title in school history for the Whippets.
“This season has really been a dream,” Whippet coach Whitney Maulsby said. “We have a group of girls who are really close with each other and they have just worked really hard all season.
“They have taken our last two runner up finishes as big motivation.”
Most of their competition has been close to home in the Southwest Conference. The Whippets were chased by Holdrege most of the season and they finished 1-2 at the district meet with Grand Island Central Catholic in third.
Whippet junior KayLynn Jorgensen won the individual title and looks to be one of a half dozen or so that could win the individual title in North Platte. She shot rounds of 82 and 79 last year to finish tied for fourth with Heartland’s Mia Hiebner who also returns.
“KayLynn has been a fantastic leader for us all season,” Maulsby said. “But, I think all of our girls just go out there each time like they are trying to win and have to play the best they have played all season.”
Six other medalists will be back for the 2024 tournament.
District Team Champions: Chadron, Minden, Scotus Central Catholic, Sutton, Wayne.
Other Team Qualifiers: Boone Central, Exeter-Milligan/Friend, Grand Island Central Catholic, Holdrege, Laurel-Concord-Coleridge, Lincoln Christian, Omaha Concordia, Ogallala, Valentine, West Holt.
District Individual Champions: Mia Hiebner (Heartland), Quinn VunCannon (Scotus Central Catholic), Daleni Knust (West Holt), KayLynn Jorgensen (Minden), Katie Coomes (Gordon-Rushville).
Returning Medalists: Hiebner, Jorgensen, Kara Suchsland (Minden), Julia Messere (Grand Island CC), Reese Rivera (Ogallala), Amelia Ptacnik (Holdrege), Joslyn Johnson (Wayne), Molly Custer (Broken Bow).
Golf Course: Lake Maloney Golf Club | 608 Birdie Lane, North Platte NE 69101
Club Manager: Phil Hinde | Yardage: 5,017 yards | Par: 72
Course Website | Tee Times | Live Scoring
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.