Divine Savior Holy Angels leads Division 1 after the first round of the Wisconsin girls state golf championships at University Ridge in Madison. The three-time defending state champions set the pace with a team score of 323, eight strokes clear of their closest competitors as the tournament moves into its second day.
Junior Addison Roesch paced the DSHA Dashers with a 75, followed closely by junior Julia Sortino, who carded a 76. Senior Zoe Gryniewicz contributed an 83, while juniors Whitney Kelly and Julia Krueger posted scores of 89 and 90 respectively. The Dashers are aiming for a fourth consecutive state title, a feat not yet achieved in WIAA history.
Trailing DSHA are DeForest (331), Bay Port (336), Waukesha South/North/West (336), Homestead (345), Kaukauna (346), Arrowhead (353), Middleton (356), Hartford Union (362), Hudson (375), Prescott (375), and Westosha Central (391). Several teams from the Milwaukee area remain in contention as the field narrows during the final 18 holes.
Individually, McKenna Nelson of Beaver Dam leads Division 1 with a first-round 69. She won the state championship last year and is off to a strong start in her title defense. Reagan Piacsek from Waukesha shared second place with DeForest’s Brinley Goninen at 71. Piacsek’s team, representing the combined Waukesha South/North/West, holds a tie for third place in the team standings.
Other local golfers in the top 10 include Homestead sophomore Lola Appleby, who shot 73 for fourth place; Arrowhead junior Addison Johannes in fifth with 74; DSHA’s Roesch tied for sixth at 75; and both Sortino and Cedarburg’s Lindsey Kroening tied for ninth at 76.
In Division 2, Lake Country Lutheran’s junior Aubrey Molaison posted the only under-par round of the day with a 2-under 70, leading the individual standings by five strokes. Molaison was tied for state runner-up last year and looks well-positioned to contend for the title in her second state championship appearance. She birdied both par-5 holes on the back nine as part of five birdies overall in her round.
Molaison’s teammates also completed their first rounds with sophomore Nora Roehl shooting 91, junior Eden Mueller 94, sophomore Molly Hoff 115, and sophomore Amelia Dyrud 118. The Lightning sit fourth among Division 2 teams with a combined score of 370, edging out St. Croix Central (371) and Colfax/Elk Mound (395).
Leading the chase in Division 2 team competition after Day 1 are Edgerton (342), Edgewood (355), and Seymour (359). Parkview freshman Taytum Oswald trails Molaison by five strokes after a 75, placing second individually in D2.
The second and final day of the WIAA state girls golf championships will begin with morning tee times on October 13, as the battle for team and individual state titles intensifies at University Ridge.
According to Yahoo Sports.
