ROCHESTER — Neva Anderson knew the situation when she stepped onto the 18th tee box late Thursday afternoon.
The first 35 holes of the Section 1, Class 2A girls golf meet didn’t matter at that point. Nor did her par putt on the 17th green that had lipped out just moments earlier.
Anderson, a senior from Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa, and Hallie Johnson, a senior from Red Wing were deadlocked at the top of the leaderboard, both at 150.
Johnson stepped to the same tee box as the defending meet medalist, winning it a year ago with an outstanding two-day total of 148. Anderson was the runner-up.
In the opening round, Johnson had made par on the 391-yard par-5 18th, while Anderson bogeyed the closing hole, which finishes with an uphill climb to a green that slopes back-to-front.
Both players had locked up trips to the state meet by the time they got to 18, but the tables turned this time, as Johnson bogeyed the 18th and Anderson sank a par putt to become the Section 1-2A medalist.
“I knew coming off 17 after I missed the putt, after it lipped out, I knew me and Hallie were tied,” Anderson said. “So I just thought when I was coming up (18), I hit it a little left, so I was a little worried there. But then I just thought if I make it up and down up here, it’s going to be fine, and I did.
“It was kind of surreal at the end … I started crying afterwards.”
The tears of joy were an ideal way for Anderson to finish her next-to-last high school meet. She’ll cap her career at the Class 2A state meet at The Ridges at Sand Creek, in Jordan, June 9-10.
“I don’t really know if I have the words to say it,” Anderson said when asked what it means to become the section medalist, “because going in here, I did not think I was going to win. My goal was to make it to state, but I never thought that I would ever be a section champion.
“So it’s kind of cool. It’s kind of surreal.”
Last year, Anderson carried the momentum from her section runner-up finish into state, where she placed 13th, just one shot out of the top 10.
A year ago, Anderson joined teammate and then-senior Olivia Cordes at the state meet, where the pair of Wildcats finished strong. Cordes placed 10th, at 160, while Anderson finished at 161.
“I think we, by the end of last year, were like sisters,” Anderson said of her relationship with Cordes, “so we’d butt heads a little bit sometimes. But it was really fun going up to state together and doing everything together. That was fun because we’ve been so close, but we both definitely have our competitive sides.
“To go up there and both place in the top (13), that was unreal. We were so proud.”
This year, two Wingers will make the trip to state as individuals: Johnson and seventh-grader Taylor Novacek. In her first section meet, Novacek placed fourth, following an opening-round 88 with a sizzling 75 on Thursday, to finish at 163.
Rochester Lourdes junior Paige Moeschler placed third (78-80—158), while Winona junior Kali Thompson finished eighth (80-85—165) to secure the final trip to state from Section 1-3A.
Lake City’s Julia Huettl tees off on Northern Hills Golf Course’s second hole during the Section 1, Class 2A, golf meet Thursday, May 28, 2026, in Rochester.
Joe Ahlquist / Post Bulletin
Three Lake City golfers tied for fifth place and another tied for ninth as the Tigers won their sixth consecutive Section 1, Class 2A girls team championship.
Lake City (332-327—659) finished 12 shots ahead of runner-up Red Wing.
The Tigers did it with one senior (Alyana Atkinson), three juniors (Taylor Davidson, Jordyn Dicke and Julia Huettl), one sophomore (Marlena Brunkow) and a seventh-grader (Ellie Kohrs) in the lineup. Head coach Steve Randgaard said the Tigers didn’t come out guns-blazing this season; it’s been a slow build toward this championship. Having six players who consistently shoot between 80-87 is a big factor in the team’s success, too.
“That does help, that depth,” Randgaard said. “You don’t have to have as much pressure. You don’t have a low score every time because you know you have teammates who can pick you up a little bit. And that, again, that just started coming about the first part of May. That’s when we really started gelling as a team.
“We’ve improved a lot as the season went on this year, more so than probably the last couple of years.”
Atkinson, Davidson and Huettl all tied for fifth (164), while Dicke placed ninth (168). Brunkow placed 21st (177), while Kohrs finished 16th (172) in her first section meet.
Atkinson led the way for the Tigers this week, as she has all season. She was consistent over the two-day tournament, shooting 82 in both rounds, and making one birdie and nine pars each day.
“Alayna was our captain the last two seasons,” Randgaard said. “She’s really a good, dedicated player. Works on her game a lot. She’s just a good leader. We’re definitely going to miss her next year. She struggled a little bit early in the year, but she really came out at the end here.”
Red Wing dominated the section for much of the 2010s, but the 2020s have completely belonged to Lake City. There was no season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tigers have won every Section 1-2A meet since then and captured the program’s first two state championships, in 2021 and 2022.
“That’s huge, that’s what the girls wanted to do,” Randgaard said of going to state as a team. “We knew we had our hands full, though, with Red Wing. They’re a very solid team.”
SECTION 1, CLASS 2A
Final Round, Thursday
(At Northern Hills Golf Course, par 72)
INDIVIDUALS
(Top 10)
1. Neva Anderson (PIZM) 77-78—155, 2. Hallie Johnson (Red Wing) 77-79—156, 3. Paige Moeschler (Lourdes) 78-80—158, 4. Taylor Novacek (Red Wing) 88-75—163, 5t. Alayna Atkinson (Lake City) 82-82—164, 5t. Julia Huettl (Lake City) 82-82—164, 5t. Taylor Davidson (Lake City) 83-81—164, 8. Kali Thompson (Winona) 80-85—165, 9t. Jordyn Dicke (Lake City) 86-82—168, 9t. Lily Dehnavifar (Lourdes) 88-80—168, 9t. Makena Millard (St. Charles) 87-81—168,
12t. Jazzlyn Hauser (Caledonia) 85-84—169, 12t. Allison Deutsch (Lourdes) 84-85—169, 14t. Maggie Herman (Caledonia) 85-85—170, 14t. Ava Olson (Byron) 85-85—170, 16t. Emersyn Klug (Caledonia) 85-87—172, 16t. Ellie Kohrs (Lake City) 85-87—172, 18. Maisie Royalty (Red Wing) 87-86—173, 19. Brynn Tweten (Chatfield) 88-86—174, 20. Genavieve Knaup (PIZM) 89-86—175,
21t. Marlena Brunkow (Lake City) 90-87—177, 21t. Kaylee Van Etten (Cotter) 90-87—177, 21t. Belle Bruns (PIZM) 89-88—177, 24. Cora Anderson (PIZM) 87-91—178, 25. Annie Reinitz (Red Wing) 91-88—179, 26. Avery Foss (Winona) 85-96—181, 27. Hayden Harms (Caledonia) 91-91—182, 28. Kendell Powell (Lourdes) 89-95—184, 29. Kayda Johnson (Byron) 91-97—188, 30. Grace Moehnke (K-M) 98-91—189,
31. Lauren Ferrie (Stewartville) 93-97—190, 32. Ellison Harms (Caledonia) 100-91—191, 33t. Lauren Ende (Byron) 94-98—192, 33t. Julia Ferrie (Stewartville) 96-96—192, 35t. Alexis Sauer (Caledonia) 98-98—196, 35t. Milleah Stensgard (PIZM) 103-93—196, 37t. Gabriella Moritz (K-M) 100-97—197, 37t. Brooklyn Burdick (PIZM) 95-102—197, 39t. Finley Kamps (Red Wing) 101-97—198, 39t. Aubrey Desrosier (K-M) 96-102—198,
41. Sydnie Kreter (Chatfield) 93-106—199, 42. Laura Nelson (Lourdes) 97-104—201, 43t. Chandler Warner (Red Wing) 99-104—203, 43t. Ava Studnicka (Lourdes) 92-111—203.
TEAM SCORING
(Top 4 individuals count to team total)
Lake City (332-327—659): Alayna Atkinson 82-82—164, Julia Huettl 82-82—164Taylor Davidson 83-81—164, Jordyn Dicke 86-82—168, Ellie Kohrs 85-87—172, Marlena Brunkow 90-87—177.
Red Wing (343-328—671): Hallie Johnson 77-79—156, Taylor Novacek 88-75—163, Maisie Royalty 87-86—173, Annie Reinitz 99-80—179, Finley Kamps 101-97—198, Chandler Warner 99-104—203.
Lourdes (339-340—679): Paige Moeschler 78-80—158, Allison Deutsch 84-85—169, Lily Dehnavifar 88-80—168, Kendell Powell 89-95—184, Laura Nelson 97-104—201, Ava Studnicka 92-111—203.
Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa (342): Neva Anderson 77-78—155, Genavieve Knaup 89-86—175, Belle Bruns 89-88—177, Cora Anderson 87-91—178, Milleah Stensgard 103-93—196, Brooklyn Burdick 95-102—197.
Lourdes’ Paige Moeschler tees off on Northern Hills Golf Course’s third hole during the Section 1, Class 2A, golf meet Thursday, May 28, 2026, in Rochester.
Joe Ahlquist / Post Bulletin