The 2024 Big South Conference Girls Golf Champions are shown above along with their coaches. Pictured, left to right, are McKinley Hanson, Katelyn Storbeck, head coach Al Cue, Payten Gudahl, Rylan Storbeck, coach Shawn Gudahl, Madison Ehrich and Lola Lundquist. The tournament was played at Dacotah Ridge Golf Club in Morton. BEA’s winning score was 355 – four strokes better than runner-up Redwood Valley.

The Blue Earth Area girls won the Big South Conference Golf Title by four strokes over runner-up Redwood Valley. The 18-hole tournament was played on Monday, May 13 at Dacotah Ridge Golf Club in Morton.

BEA won the title with a team total of 355 while Redwood Valley finished with 359. Rounding out the top-five finishers were Fairmont in third place with 383, Worthington in fourth with 391 and St. Peter in fifth with 405.

“This was extra satisfying being BEA is one of the smallest schools in the 13 school Big South Conference,” BEA coach Al Cue remarked. “It shows that hard work pays off. It was a job well done by the girls and I am proud of them.”

Redwood Valley claimed the top two individual spots in the tournament. Senior Mila Jenniges shot a one-under-par 36-35-71 to win medalist honors by 13 strokes over her senior teammate Taylor Klabunde, who shot a 41-43-84.

While the Cardinals claimed the top two spots in the tourney, the Bucs placed their top four golfers in the top 11 in the final standings.

Senior Payten Gudahl led the way for BEA with a 43-42-85 to finish in third place. Gudahl parred the first, third, seventh and ninth holes on the front nine of the course. She birdied hole No. 12 and parred the 11th and 14th holes on the back nine.

“I was a little nervous teeing off on my first hole, but from there I relaxed,” Gudahl said. “Staying relaxed was one of my main goals this year because I do so much better when I am.”

Gudahl was the first golfer to finish for the Bucs.

“Going into my last hole, I had no idea how close it was,” Gudahl recalled. “It wasn’t until I looked at the leaderboard after my final hole that I realized we may not win as a team. Thankfully, our next three girls finished strong to secure the win.”

Gudahl’s sophomore teammate, Katelyn Storbeck, finished one stroke behind with a 43-43-86 to finish in a tie for fourth place.

Storbeck began her day by parring the first and second holes and getting a birdie on hole No. 3. She also parred hole No. 8 on the front nine. She completed her round by adding another birdie to her score on the 14th hole and recording pars on the 11th and 18th holes.

Madison Ehrich, a junior, parred the third, ninth, 10th, 13th and 14th holes on her way to a 46-45-91 to finish in eighth place.

Senior Rylan Storbeck completed BEA’s team scoring with a 48-45-93 to finish in a three-way tie for 11th place. Storbeck birdied hole No. 13 and parred the seventh, 11th and 18th holes.

Also golfing for BEA were McKinley Hanson, who finished in a tie for 29th place with a 54-51-105, and Lola Lundquist, who shot a 46-65-111 to finish in 36th place.

Redwood Valley’s No. 3 golfer finished 14th with an 18-hole score of 95 and their No. 4 golfer shot a 109 to finish in a two-way tie for 33rd.

“Winning the BSC championship as a team was one of our many goals as a team this year,” Gudahl commented. “I believe that winning as a team in this big tournament will help keep us motivated as a team heading into Sections.”

Boys Results

St. Peter won the Big South Conference Tournament held at Dacotah Ridge Golf Club on May 13.

St. Peter’s team score of 305 was four strokes better that runner-up Marshall’s score of 309. Luverne came in third with 318, Waseca was fifth with 324 and New Ulm finished fifth with 328. Blue Earth Area finished in seventh place out of the 12 teams that played in the tournament. The Bucs’ team score was 341.

Henry Hartquist, a senior at Luverne, shot a four-under-par score of 33-35-68 to claim medalist honors for the tournament.

Junior Jackson Blondin had the lowest score among BEA’s golfers with a 43-40-83 to finish in 19th place. Blondin’s round included a birdie on hole No. 3 and pars on the first, sixth, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 17th holes.

Junior Eli Blagg and freshman Cole Becker each finished in a three-way tie for 30th place.

Blagg shot a 42-43-85 with pars on the second, third, seventh, eighth, 13th, 14th, 15th and 17th holes.

Becker also carded a 42-43-85. He birdied the second hole and had pars on hole Nos. 1, 9, 10, 12, 14, 17 and 18.

Senior Max Loge completed the team scoring for the Bucs with a 45-43-88 to finish in a five-way tie for 37th place.

Loge had birdies on hole Nos. 3, 13 and 17. He parred the first, second, fourth, eighth and 14th holes.

Junior Hunter Viland finished the course with a 42-47-89 which put him in a three-way tie for 42nd place. Viland birdied the first hole and parred the fifth, sixth, seventh and 16th holes.

Manny Granillo finished in a four-way tie for 50th place with a 49-43-92. The junior golfer had pars on the third, eighth, 15th and 18th holes.

BEA vs. JCC

Girls Results

The Blue Earth Area girls won their latest golf meet before the first shot was even taken. The Bucs hosted the Jackson County Central Huskies at Minn-Iowa Golf Course on Tuesday, May 14. However, since the Huskies were unable to field a complete team, the Bucs were awarded the victory.

Those girls present did play nine holes and the six lowest scores were all recorded by BEA golfers.

Payten Gudahl was the medalist for the day with a five-over-par score of 42. She birdied hole No. 3 and had pars on the second, seventh and ninth holes.

Madison Ehrich finished second with a 47. Ehrich’s round included a par on hole Nos. 2 and 3.

Finishing in third place was Katelyn Storbeck with a 48. Her round included pars on the first three holes on the course.

Rylan Storbeck carded a 49 to finish in fourth place. She parred the fifth and sixth holes.

A score of 50 by McKinley Hanson was good for fifth place. Hanson had one par for the day on hole No. 5.

Coming in sixth was Lola Lundquist with a 55. She had a par on hole No. 6.

Also getting a taste of some varsity action was Murron Kokos. The eighth grader finished in ninth place with a 62.

Boys Results

The Blue Earth Area boys scored a 15-stroke victory over Big South Conference foe Jackson County Central on Tuesday, May 14, at Minn-Iowa Golf Course.

The Bucs posted a team score of 157 while the Huskies finished the day with a 172.

Max Loge claimed medalist honors with a one-over-par round of 37 on the nine-hole course. Loge birdied the first and the ninth holes and parred the second, third, sixth and eighth holes.

Finishing one stroke behind Loge was his teammate Cole Becker with a 38. Becker had a birdie on hole No. 1 and pars on hole Nos. 2, 4, 5, 6 and 9.

Coming in third was Jackson Blondin with a 40. Blondin had a birdie on the second and fifth holes while carding pars on the fourth and sixth holes.

Rounding out BEA’s team score was Eli Blagg with a 42 which put him in fourth place. Blagg had pars on the first, sixth and eighth holes.

Hunter Viland shot a 46 to finish in 10th place. He parred the first and ninth holes.

Manny Granillo had a par on hole No. 1 and another par on hole No. 5 to finish in 11th place with a round of 47.