An Early Look at the 2025 High School Golf Season

With temperatures across the state beginning to climb, more than 4,500 high school golfers will return to golf courses in the coming days to begin the 2025 season.

Here’s a peek at the upcoming prep season:

CLASS AAA (BOYS)
Benilde-St. Margaret’s cruised past Edina during the 6AAA section championship before a rally during the final round at the AAA tournament at Bunker Hills Golf Club to knock off the top-ranked Crimson from Maple Grove. The Red Knights lost two from the 2024 tournament team, but enter 2025 as the state's top-ranked team.

Cretin-Derham Hall returns its top five starters from last year’s state tournament team, who placed sixth after entering the season finale as the state’s No. 2-ranked team.

The Waconia Wildcats edged a strong Chanhassen team to reach the state tournament last June, eventually falling to the Red Knights by a single stroke. The Wildcats will get another shot as they return their top five golfers from a season ago.

WHO TO WATCH:
Torger Ohe (sr., Edina) finished fourth in the state with a scoring average of 70.8 before he claimed a three-stroke victory at the Class AAA championship last year. Ohe has committed to play collegiate golf at the University of Minnesota.

Sam Udovich (sr., Cretin-Derham Hall) winning the Class AA individual title in 2022 as a freshman, the Texas Christian University commit has never finished worse than fourth at the state tournament.

Chase Birdwell (so., Spring Lake Park) fired a final-round 69 to finish tied for fifth at Bunker Hills last June. Birdwell kicked off the 2025 season by earning medalist honors by three strokes at the Bunker Hill Invite, shooting 7-under 65.

CLASS AAA (GIRLS)
The Minnetonka Skippers will begin the 2024 season as the state’s top-ranked team despite a third-place finish at the Class AAA championship last season. The Skippers return a strong core of juniors Selena Wu and Ruby Reding, as well as sophomores Kieley Hanson and Mila Sloan.

Minnetonka added fire power to the lineup by adding freshman transfer Elizabeth Fong, who placed tied for second as an eighth-grader at the Class AA championship last June.

Following a fourth-place finish at Bunker Hills in 2024, the Alexandria girls return their top three starters from 2024’s Class AAA tournament team. The Cardinal will be led by senior Rachel Bowen and juniors Ellie Sticha and Cadence Simon.

Losing one player from last season’s state tournament team, the Raptors from East Ridge hope to improve on a fourth-place finish in 2024. East Ridge will rely on seniors Anne Benjamin, Katrien Van Heyst and Ella Whinnery, as well as junior Aliya Kleven to emerge from section 3AAA.

WHO TO WATCH:
Carmen Jirele (jr., Owatonna) earned a three-stroke victory in the 1AAA section championship before she went on to claim medalist honors a one-stroke victory thanks to an opening-round 69 at Bunker Hills last season.

Ava Hanneman (sr., Orono) the Furman University commit posted a final-round 69 to climb the leaderboard on the final day of the Class AAA championship to place third. In two appearances at the season finale, Hanneman has finished no worse than fifth.

Abigail Labrador (fr., St. Michael-Albertville) followed an opening-round 76 by carding a 3-over 75 to close out the season with a ninth-place finish as an eighth-grader for STMA. She finished fifth in the state across all classes with a scoring average of 74.5 in 2024.

CLASS AA (BOYS)
The Blake Bears finished fourth last season at Ridges at Sand Creek, but return five of six tournament starters, including senior Ian Friederichs, who placed T7 at the state championship.

Detroit Lakes also return nearly the entirety of its 2024 Class AA tournament team, who finished 16 shots behind Holy Family. The Lakers will depend on juniors Brock Burhans and Lawsen Justesen, who both tallied top-15 finishes, as well as senior Tyler Stensgard, who placed 26th.

Winners of the Class AA championship in 2023, Totino-Grace hopes to build on a third-place finish a season ago but will have to contend without a pair of key contributors. The Eagles will be led by juniors Collin Ramos and Ben Appelhof, as well as senior Vince Zurek.

WHO TO WATCH:
Carter White (sr., Staples-Motley), a North Dakota State University commit, earned individual medalist honors in Class AA in 2023 and followed up his performance by placing third last season. 

Friederichs (sr., Blake) has a pair of top-10 finishes at the Class AA championship, including his seventh-place finish in 2024. He finished with a scoring average of 69.9 in 2024, fifth-best across all classes.

Collin Ramos (jr., Totino-Grace) helped the Eagles to a state championship appearance again in 2024 and finished 12th in Class AA with a scoring average of 73.4 in 13 events, including a season-low 2-under 70 during the second round of The Preview at Edinburgh USA.

CLASS AA (GIRLS)
The Lakers from Detroit Lakes claimed the eighth team title in program history last June at Ridges at Sand Creek, running away with 13-stroke victory. Despite losing a pair of contributors from 2024, the Lakers return their top four performers from the 2024 championship.

Minnewaska entered the 2024 Class AA championship as the ninth-ranked team by the MGA and finished third at its 17th state appearance for the Lakers, who return all six starters from a year ago.

Looking to build on a fifth-place finish in its first Class AA appearance last year, the Hill-Murray Pioneers will also return the entirety of the 2024 team, led by senior Julia Montgomery, junior Emma Fitzmorris and sophomore Ella Friedman.

WHO TO WATCH:
Sophie Cook (sr., Hawley) made her third state tournament appearance in 2024 and placed fourth for her second consecutive top-5 finish at the championship. She finished ninth in Class AA with a 78.2 scoring average in 10 events. She has committed to the University of North Dakota.

University of St. Thomas commit Genevieve Birkeland (sr., Pequot Lakes) finished third in Class AA with a 76.8 scoring average, including a season-low 73, before placing fifth individually for her second straight top-5 finish at Ridges at Sand Creek.

Emma Fitzmorris (jr., Hill-Murray) fired a season-low 72 during the opening round of section 4AA before going on to place 38th at the state tournament. Fitzmorris led all sophomores in Class AA with a 78.0 scoring average.

CLASS A (BOYS)
Despite falling to Fertile-Beltrami by eight strokes in 2024, the Walker-Hackensack-Akeley boys should find its way back to the Class A championship as the Wolves will return all six starters from last year’s state tournament team.

After a third-place finish in 2024, the Legacy Christian Academy Lions return its top three players from last year’s tournament team. LCA will need to get a boost from senior Tanner McNamee and sophomore Braylon Ylkanen to contend with the Wolves from WHA.

Looking for its first team title since 2014, Dawson-Boyd returns all six starters from 2024 that finished seventh at Pebble Creek Golf Course last June. Look for senior Drew Hjelmeland and junior Evan Mork to lead the Blackjacks in 2025.

WHO TO WATCH:
Parker Brock (sr., WHA), a South Dakota State University commit, fired a final-round 69 to claim individual medalist honors by two strokes. He finished second in Class A with a scoring average of 71.6.

Carson Boe (sr., Lakeview) followed up his third-place finish in 2023 by placing second in 2024. Boe led Class A last season with a 70.0 scoring average.

Ryan Schrupp (sr., Renville County West) posted back-to-back rounds of 1-over 73 at Pebble Creek last season to notch his second top-10 finish in as many appearances at the Class A championship.

CLASS A (GIRLS)
The 2024 co-champions from Fillmore Central and Dawson-Boyd will likely battle once again at Pebble Creek in June as the Falcons return their top starter, Myleigh Scheevel, who placed third at the Class A finale, while the Blackjacks return all six starters, including individual medalist Lindsey Lund and junior Alyssa Swedzinski, who placed third.

Finishing 12 shots back last year, the girls from Park Christian should contend with 2024’s top two teams as the Falcons return all six starters, including seniors Wynn Tomlinson and Kennedy Masseth, as well as juniors Kylee West and Hailey Frueh.

WHO TO WATCH:
Lindsey Lund (sr., Dawson-Boyd) led Class A with a scoring average of 79.6 and bounced back with a final-round 67 to earn medalist honors by one stroke. She placed eighth at the championship in 2023. Lund is headed to Winona State University this fall.

Myleigh Scheevel (sr., Fillmore Central) finished fourth in scoring average in Class A in 2024 before her final-round 75 gave her a third-place finish at the state championship.

Paige Beyer (sr., Border West) placed 10th in her first Class A championship appearance in 2023 and followed it by finishing tied for third with Scheevel and Swedzinski last June.


MR. MINNESOTA GOLF HOPEFULS:
Sam Udovich (Cretin-Derham Hall)
Torger Ohe (Edina)
Isaac Ahn (Rochester Mayo)
Jacob Wilson (Mahtomedi)
Ian Friederichs (Blake)
Charlie Hanson (Morris Area)
Carter White (Staples-Motley)
Colton Rich (Rochester Lourdes)
Parker Brock (Walker-Hackensack-Akeley)
Carson Boe (Lakeview)

MS. MINNESOTA GOLF HOPEFULS:
Ava Hanneman (Orono)
Carly Hamman (Maple Grove)
Bella Leonhart (Forest Lake)
Kali Hanson (Chisago Lakes)
Joey Koth (Chaska)
Genevieve Birkeland (Pequot Lakes)
Sophie Cook (Hawley)
Addison Wood (St. Croix Lutheran)
Paige Kroll (Holy Family)
Lindsey Lund (Dawson-Boyd)
Myleigh Scheevel (Fillmore Central)