State champions Olivia Braun, Brynn Roehrich among area's top returnees

Even though northeastern and north central South Dakota golfers may typically be behind many of their counterparts across the state early each spring, they usually hold their own by season's end. That should be the case again during the 2026 South Dakota high school golf season, which again features Class AA, A and B girls and Class B boys. Area squads include Aberdeen Central and Watertown in Class AA girls; and Aberdeen Roncalli, Groton Area, Milbank, Sisseton, Sioux Valley and Tiospa Zina (Region 1) and Redfield (Region 3) in Class A girls.

Class B boys and/or girls' teams include Aberdeen Christian, Britton-Hecla, Clark-Willow Lake, Doland, Edmunds Central, Faulkton Area, Florence-Henry, Frederick Area, Great Plains Lutheran, Ipswich, Langford Area, Leola, Warner, Waubay-Summit, Waverly-South Shore, Webster Area and Wilmot (Region 1); Arlington, Castlewood, De Smet, Deubrook Area, Deuel, Elkton-Lake benton, Hamlin, Hitchcock-Tulare, Iroquois-Lake Preston and Oldham-Ramona-Rutland (Region 2); and Eureka, Gettysburg, Herreid, Hoven, Mobridge-Pollock and Selby Area (Region 5). State tourneys are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, June 1-2 at Cattail Crossing Golf Course in Watertown (Class AA girls), Two Rivers Club in North Sioux City (Class A girls), Edgebrook Golf Course in Brookings (Class B girls) and the Brookings Country Club (Class Boys). Class AA Girls State champion Olivia Braun and fellow state medalists Emma Dohrer (fourth), Kyley Wirebaugh (fifth) and Chloe Vikander (tied for 21st) carried coach Kim Zimmerman's Aberdeen Central squad to its first state title last spring.

The Golden Eagles should challenge again for top honors this spring. Braun, who has enjoyed success in events around the country, and fellow senior Dohrer are each already five-time state medalists and junior Wirebaugh and senior Vikander two-time state medalists. Eighth-graders Genevieve Golz and Carli Withers are placed at state last spring.

"Obviously, Aberdeen Central is going to be one of the teams to beat along with Mitchell O'Gorman and other Sioux Falls area schools Harrisburg and Brandon Valley," Watertown coach Corey Neale said. Sophomore Gabi Olson, who placed sixth at state last spring after tying for fifth in 2024, is the leading returnee for Watertown. Junior Kreu Johnson also played at state last spring and freshmen Emma Olson and Berkley Fligge are also returnees who were unable to play in the state tourney last spring.