Not Quite a Smith-DL Sweep in Class AA, But Close

JORDAN -- Kate Smith has four years of high school eligibility remaining, but she didn't leave a lot of unfinished business at the state tournament.

The Detroit Lakes eighth-grader shot her second straight 2-under-par 70 at the Ridges @ Sand Creek on Wednesday, and her two-day total of 140 earned her a resounding victory in the girls Class AA individual competition. It also, among other things, tied the all-time state tournament record for lowest 36-hole aggregate, and helped the Lakers win the team championship.

In addition, Smith set a record for being the youngest player to win a state title. The record had been held jointly by Katie Detlefsen, who won the first of her four state Class A championships (under the old two-class system) when she was a ninth-grader at Minnehaha Academy, and Stacie Smoot, who won the first of her two (also under the two-class system) when she was a ninth-grader at Rochester Lourdes.

It was Detlefsen who set the record for lowest overall score at 140 (69-71), in 2006 at Izaty's, when she was a junior.

Kourtney Williams, a senior from Buffalo -- and a University of Wyoming recruit -- finished second for the second year in a row. She shot 149 (76-73), the same score that she produced last year while taking second behind Anna Laorr, who graduated from Breck and is now at Minnesota.

Had it not been for Smith, Williams would have been an easy winner, because it was another four strokes back to Minnewaska senior Brianna Janu in third place at 153. DL sophomore Trisa Hutchinson finished fourth with a pair of 77's for a cumulative 154. Another sophomore, Emily Israelson of Staples-Motley was fifth with two 78's for a 156.

The most likely potential long-term rival for Smith, Visitation seventh-grader Anni Heck, finished sixth at 158, after a second-round 82. 

Not only did Smith win big individually, she also led Detroit Lakes to blowout team victory. The Lakers led by 27 shots after Day 1, and they ultimately won by 35 with a combined score of 619. Minnewaska, which won five consecutive state titles from 2006 to 2010, was second at 654 and St. Croix Lutheran third at 691.

DL also won the boys team championship at the Ridges, and set a record for the lowest cumulative score -- 601 -- in the five years that the AA tournament has been played there. The old record of 606 was set by the Lakers when they won last year.  

Hermantown finished one stroke behind at 602, and Staples-Motley was third at 607.

The only first place medal that Detroit Lakes didn't take home was the one awarded for the boys individual competition. Smith's brother Karter, a junior, was the first-round leader after a 67, but Hermantown senior Taylor Sundbom made up eight strokes on him in the first nine holes on Wednesday, thanks to a front-side 33. Sundbom went on to shoot 69 and won by three strokes.

Karter Smith tied for second -- for the second year in a row -- along with Holy Angels senior Jack Riester, at 145. Riester matched Sundbom for low score of the day with a 69.  Smith closed with a 78.

Delano junior Jordan Peters finished alone in fourth with a 146 (71-75).

Marshall's Max Deutz, who won last year as a junior, started this year's tournament with an eagle on his first hole, shot 32 on his first nine and was 5 under after 10 holes. But he slipped back over the last eight holes on Day 1 and finished with a 72. He added a 75 on Wednesday to put up a 147, and that was good for solo fifth.     

       Minnesota State High School Golf Tournament 

                                  Class AA

                                  At Ridges @ Sand Creek

                                  Par 72

                                 Jordan

                                 Girls

                                 Final results

                                  Minnesota State High School Golf Tournament 

                                  Class AA

                                  At Ridges @ Sand Creek

                                  Par 72

                                 Jordan

                                 Boys

                                 Final results