State golf championship roundup: Bon Homme claims first Class B boys team title

Jun. 2—BROOKINGS — Bon Homme claimed the Class B state high school boys golf tournament team championship after the second day of competition on Tuesday at Brookings Country Club.

>The three Cavalier golfers included in the scoring were Michael Branaugh, Madden Merkwan and Kashius Tucker, who shot a two-day total of 472 (234-238) to win the team title by six strokes over second-place Philip (478). It is the first boys golf state team title in school history for the Cavaliers.

>Bon Homme moved into first place on Tuesday after Monday's first round competition had the Cavaliers in third place, moving in front of Philip and Wessington Springs.

>Clark/Willow Lake took third (480), just one stroke ahead of fourth-place Hill City (481) and two strokes ahead of fifth-place Wessington Springs (482) to round out the top-five teams. The Spartans were in second place after Monday's first round.

>Merkwan led the way for the Cavaliers with an 11th-place tie, scoring a 2-over-par 74 on Monday, followed by an 80 on Tuesday to round out his total at 154. Branaugh shot a first-round 78, followed by a 77 on Tuesday to round his total at 155, good for a 14th-place tie, while Tucker finished tied for 42nd with an 82 in round one, followed by a second-round score of 81.

>Hamlin's Aiden Abraham shot a second-round 3-under-par 69 to move to first place and earn a Class B boys state title. On Monday, Abraham shot a 77 before improving his second round score by eight strokes and a total of 146, which was two strokes ahead of second-place Kaiden Weinreis, of Doland, who shot a 148 through the two-day tournament. Webster Area's Seth Lesnar shot a 149 (76-73) to claim third, while De Smet's Maxxon Kees shot a 151 (76-75) to round out the top-five individual golfers in the Class B boys golfing field.

>Wessington Springs' JD Thompson finished tied for fifth place after shooting 1-over-par 73 on Monday, where he was tied for second place, before shooting a 79 in the second round for a total score of 152. Thompson was a part of a three-way tie for fifth place with White River's Bryson One Star and Sully Buttes' Gavin Colson.

>Colson was leading after Day 1 on Monday, but shot an 81 on Tuesday, which was 10 strokes higher than his first-round score of 71. Colson finished in second place for the state championship last season, as well.

>The other leading Mitchell-area golfers after the two-day tournament were McCook Central/Montrose's Liam Rayman, who finished tied for 28th with a total score of 160, while Freeman's Tannen Auch claimed a four-way tie for 42nd after a two-round score of 163 — tied with Bon Homme's Tucker.

>BROOKINGS — In the Class B state high school girls golf tournament at Edgebrook Golf Course, Clark/Willow Lake's Brynn Roehrich rolled to her third consecutive state championship on Tuesday.

>Roehrich won the 2024 and 2025 state titles in Class B, including by four shots last season, and won the 2026 title by 13 strokes over Miller's Jayce Pugh. Roehrich shot a 4-over-par 74 in the first round, followed by a 3-under-par 67 in the second round to solidify the three-peat with a total score of 141.

>Pugh shot a 74 in the opening round on Monday, followed by a 10-over-par 80 in the second round on Tuesday to take second-place honors with a total score of 154. Pugh was the Class B champ in 2021 and co-champion in 2022.

>Chester's Jadyn McDonald took bronze honors with a 77 on Monday and a 78 on Tuesday for a total score of 155, just one stroke behind second-place Pugh. Dell Rapids St. Mary's Maddison Bacon took fourth place after shooting a total score of 157 (78-79), while Frederick Area's Ruby Dallmann shot a 159 (81-78) to round out the top-five individual golfers in the Class B girls state field.

>Clark/Willow Lake won the team competition through the two-day tournament, shooting 481 with their top-three golfers — Brynn Roehrich, Faith Roehrich and Mallory Nelson. Dell Rapids St. Mary's claimed second (483), Miller got third (491), followed by Deubrook Area (511) and Philip (525) in the top-five team scores. Platte-Geddes led the Mitchell-area teams in seventh place with a team score of 536.

>The leading Mitchell-area golfers after the two-day tournament were Ethan's Bella Guthrie, who earned 15th place after a total score of 167, while Corsica-Stickney's Claire Gerlach took 17th with a 169 total score. Platte-Geddes' Mallory Gant finished tied for 22nd after a two-round total of 172, and her Black Panther teammate, Leah Schuman, earned a tie for 27th with a score of 177. Burke's Paige Beckers tied for 30th place after a two-round round of 180, and Howard's Halle Schulz tied for 32nd at 181.

>NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. — Dakota Valley's Katie Betsworth claimed her second state title in three years following Tuesday's second-round competition at the Class A state high school girls golf tournament at Two Rivers Golf Club.

>On Monday Betsworth shot a 4-under-par round of 66, followed by a 2-over-par 72 on Tuesday to round her total score at 138, just one stroke ahead of second-place Kaitlin Strain, of St. Thomas More, who shot a first-round score of 3-under-par 67 and a second-round score of 72.

>Betsworth had four birdies, two bogeys and two double bogeys on her final scorecard. She also was 2-over-par 37 on the front nine and an even-par on the back nine to close her round with a 35 on the final nine holes.

>Cavalier colleague Rylan Horning, who was the 2025 champion from last season, claimed third place after shooting a 141 (72, 69), while Dakota Valley's Addicyn Sailer took fourth place with a 143 (72, 71) and Vermillion's Georgia Johnson rounded out the top-five golfers in the Class A girls field at 150 (76, 74).

>Chamberlain's Trey Speer finished sixth, shooting a first-round 75 and a second-round 77 to round her total score at 152, just two strokes behind fifth-place Johnson.

>St. Thomas More won the state team title competition with a two-round team score of 606, with Dakota Valley 16 strokes back in second place with a score of 622. Vermillion shot 626, Sioux Falls Christian shot 630 and Aberdeen Roncalli shot 655 to cap the top-five team scores.

>After Speer, Winner's Gracie Root has the next-best score of Mitchell-area golfers, tied for 26th after a two-round total score of 166.