COON RAPIDS — The Alexandria girls golf team stayed inside the top five through the final round of the Class AAA state tournament on Wednesday, June 10, at Bunker Hills Golf Club.
The Cardinals finished in a tie for fifth place with Elk River after shooting a two-day total of 663. Alexandria opened with a 322 on Tuesday before closing with a 341 in the final round.
With challenges faced on the course over three consecutive days, from the practice round on Monday, June 8, through the final day, Cardinal girls head coach Tim Zupfer was pleased with the effort the team put in.
“We were a little disappointed that our scores were a little higher the second day of play,” Zupfer said. “Some challenging hole locations, three consecutive days of playing in very warm afternoon conditions, and an hour plus lightning delay may have contributed to the team losing some energy.
“Nevertheless, the team managed to finish in the position they were seeded prior to the tournament based on season scoring,” he added.
Ellie Sticha and Mattea LeClair led the Cardinals individually, as both finished in a tie for 27th place with two-day totals of 160. Sticha followed her opening-round 76 with an 84 on Wednesday, while LeClair put together back-to-back rounds of 80.
Alexandria’s Cadence Simon putts the ball on the No. 5 green during Round 2 of the Central Lakes Conference championships on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at Eagle Creek Golf Club in Willmar.
Michael Lyne / West Central Tribune
Cadence Simon added a 171 after rounds of 80 and 91 to finish tied for 57th. Kaiya Chapin was one shot back in a tie for 62nd after shooting 86 in both rounds for a 172.
Emmy Erickson finished tied for 73rd with a 184 after rounds of 89 and 95, while Rosie Hovel tied for 79th with a 186 after rounds of 91 and 95.
Minnetonka completed a dominant run to the Class AAA girls team championship with a 588 after matching rounds of 294. Maple Grove finished second at 623, Wayzata was third at 637 and East Ridge was fourth at 650.
Minnetonka’s Ruby Reding also won the individual title with a 141 after rounds of 70 and 71. Northfield’s Karina Johnson was second at 144, while Minnetonka’s Kieley Hanson and Edina’s Emmy Inderieden tied for third at 145.
On the boys side, Alexandria had three golfers in the individual field, led by Blake Scholl’s top-20 finish.
Scholl shot matching rounds of 73 to finish tied for 16th with a two-day total of 146. He moved up after opening the tournament tied for 20th on Tuesday.
Weston Nyberg finished tied for 45th with a 152 after rounds of 75 and 77. Brady Gundberg improved by five shots in the final round, following an opening 81 with a 76 to finish tied for 60th at 157.
Elk River’s William Roiland won the boys individual championship with a 139 after rounds of 67 and 72. Spring Lake Park’s Chase Birdwell was second at 140, and Brainerd’s Brady Oseland finished third at 141.
Brainerd won the boys team title with a 574 after rounds of 289 and 285. Benilde-St. Margaret’s finished second at 586, Orono was third at 595, and St. Thomas Academy took fourth at 596.
Blake Durham is the Sports and Outdoors Editor at the Echo Press. He joined the newspaper in September 2025 and covers various sports in Alexandria and throughout Douglas County. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a bachelor’s degree in communications in 2022.