Kernel girls golf takes second at Yankton Invite to cap busy week
May 8—YANKTON — A third event victory in four days came up just outside of the Mitchell High School girls golf team's grasp on Friday. In the middle of a top-three separated by just five strokes, the Kernels settled for second place at the Yankton Invitational at Hillcrest Golf and Country Club. O'Gorman paced the field at 340 strokes, followed closely by Mitchell (343) and Brandon Valley (345).
The Kernels played four events in five days this week, finishing third, first twice and second. On Friday, Anna Eliason posted the top individual finish for MHS, shooting an 80-stroke round, which was good for a fourth-place tie in the field of 69 golfers. Teammates Maddie Childs (85) and Mia Larson (87) were also in the top-10, coming in eighth and ninth place, respectively.
Londyn Hajek (91) rounded out the MHS team scorecard in a tie for 15th. Also on the course for Mitchell were Kate Schutz (96), who tied for 20th, and Brynlee Sabers (102). Aberdeen Central's Olivia Braun shot a 1-over 73 to finish as the individual medalist, two shots ahead of Brandon Valley's Vanessa Smith (75).
The Golden Eagles had their lowest team finish of the season to date on Friday, coming in fourth at 358 strokes. Aberdeen Central fielded only five golfers on Friday, as the Golden Eagles' No. 2 golfer, Kyley Wirebaugh, was absent from the scorecard for the second straight event.
Team title winner O'Gorman was led by Ari Jacobs (79) in third place, followed closely by Erin Hurd (80) in the fourth-place tie with Mitchell's Eliason and sixth-place Geneva Fredrickson (82). In their next action, the Kernels are set to host the Mitchell Invitational at Lakeview Golf Course on Friday, May 15, with all of Class AA expected to be in attendance.