Depth drives Kimberly boys golf team to WIAA state tournament

Kimberly boys golf coach Greg Lueneburg has no idea from day to day which player in the Papermakers lineup will turn in the best score and which player’s score will get thrown out.

>While some coaches might view not having an obvious No. 1 player as a curse, Lueneburg and his players see it as a blessing.

>The Papermakers will tee it up in the WIAA state tournament June 8-9, and they know that depth will help carry them on the challenging layout at University Ridge in Madison.

>“It’s kind of a fun thing to see who steps up,” Lueneburg said. “The nice thing is, whoever doesn’t step up, their score isn’t that bad. We keep throwing out scores in the 70s or low 80s. So that’s the nice thing. If we had kids that would go from the 70s to the 90s, then I’d have concerns, but they’re all so consistent. I wouldn’t know who was No. 1 each day, so you just kind of treat them all the same and see who was hot and enjoy watching them, because they hit a lot of good shots and it’s fun to watch them.”

>Kimberly is headed to state as a team for the ninth time in the spring and the first time since 2023. Kimberly also advanced to state twice when the season was held in the fall. The Papermakers’ best finish at state is second place in 1991 in Division 2.

>Kimberly won the Fox Valley Association title this season for the fourth year in a row, was the regional champion at Winagamie Golf Course and the sectional champion at Butte des Morts Country Club.

>Andrew Ostermann posted the best score for the Papermakers at the sectional, Tyler Steeno led the way at the regional, and Drew Grant and Tyson West tied for Kimberly’s top score at the FVA championships. Grant was the conference player of the year.

>“I actually like it better probably this way,” Lueneburg said. “Like five years ago, I had Aiden Cudney. I didn’t watch him play much for four years, because he didn’t need me and he was on his own and the other four you had to work real hard to make sure that they were playing well. These guys, like I said, they all could be No. 1 and be consistent. I get to sit back and watch.”

>Collin Hermann rounds out the lineup for the Papermakers. All five players are juniors and all five made the all-conference team based on the league’s season-long points system.

>Steeno said the team didn’t need to specifically talk about making it to state as a goal this season, because it was understood they had the players and the game to do it.

>“I’ve had a lot of bad rounds this year. Everybody’s played bad at different times. The whole team is there to pick you up,” Steeno said. “We got five guys who if they go anywhere else can compete for the No. 1 spot. I think it’s very helpful. You don’t have to bring your best stuff every day and still have a chance to win. But at the end of the day, at state everyone’s got to have a good day.”

>Grant said the players have spent a lot of time through the years working on their games and forming bonds on and off the golf course.

>“We just all push each other to get better each and every meet and even just out here at practice,” Grant said. “We’ve all known each other for a while now. Ever since middle school we’ve all been playing golf together, so I think it’s a great thing that we all like each other and just go out even in the summer and play with each other.”

>Lueneburg said hard work from the top to the bottom of the program has given him a lot of options filling out the lineup and making the program strong.

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>“I have to tell them some days to go home, because they just want to work and keep getting better. They love competing against each other. They just want to get better,” Lueneburg said. “Last year, I had three kids that averaged in the 30s as a team, and this year I have seven, and that’s all hard work. These kids are all competing against each other and just want to get better and just constantly play.”

Appleton-area state golf qualifiersDivision 1 individuals – Jonathan Huenink, sr., Appleton North.

>Division 2 teams – Winneconne – Austin Dobbe, sr.; Sawyer Krueger, jr.; Sully Ramthun, jr.; Jackson Larson, jr.; Parker Groff, sr.; Xavier – Derek Watry, so.; Phillip Schmidtke, so.; Jack Schmidtke, sr.; Grant Neumann, sr.; William Bauman, so.

>Division 2 individuals – Vince Sigl, sr., Seymour; Owen Sigl, jr., Seymour; Tristan Drath, sr., Seymour.

>Division 3 individuals – Owen Reese, fr., Shiocton.

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>This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: WIAA high school boys golf state tournament preview for Appleton area