Golf: Nevis' main goal is to send golfers to state

Sending golfers back to the state Class A tournament is the main goal for the Nevis boys and girls golf teams this spring.

Senior Sofia Anderson and junior Lealan Norby enter the season set on returning to state. Anderson finished seventh at the Section 7A girls tournament with rounds of 100 and 96 for a 196 while Norby shared sixth place in the boys meet after carding rounds of 83 and 79 for a 162 to qualify for state. At the state meet, Norby had rounds of 84 and 83 for a 167 to finish 31st out of 87 golfers while Anderson carded rounds of 115 and 97 for a 212 to take 58th out of 85 golfers at Becker. Norby finished with an 83.4 average while Anderson had a 103.0 average in their five 18-hole tournaments.

Four other golfers return who earned letters last season. That list features senior Spencer Lindow and junior Eli Lewis for the boys and senior Sarah Boettcher and sophomore Anna Crimmins for the girls.

Lindow carded rounds of 86 and 95 for a 181 to place 21st while Lewis had rounds of 94 and 100 for a 194 to place 28th at the Section 7A tournament as the Tigers placed fourth as a team with rounds of 341 and 348 for a 689. Duluth Marshall won the section title with a 622. Boettcher had rounds of 134 and 108 for a 242 to place 18th while Crimmins carded rounds of 130 and 149 for a 279 to finish 25th at the section meet.

In Northern Pines Conference play, Norby led the Tigers with a 41.3 average, Lindow had a 48.3 average and Lewis had a 51.7 average as Nevis took first, tied for first and finished second in those six nine-hole meets. Anderson posted a 52.0 average and Boettcher had a 61.7 average in six meets while Cummins had a 67.5 average in four meets as the Nevis girls took second once and third once in the six NPC rounds.

The Nevis boys have three starting spots to fill with the graduation of Ty Warrington, Eddie Kramer and Ethan Lewis. Warrington had rounds of 84 and 86 for a 170 to share 13th place, Lewis carded a pair of 88s for a 176 to share 16th place, and Kramer tied for 33rd place with rounds of 101 and 97 for a 198 at the section tournament. In NPC play, Lewis had a 42.7 average, Warrington carded a 44.3 average and Kramer finished with a 48.8 average in the six meets.

For the Nevis girls, Megan Lindow graduated after posting a 72.2 average in six NPC meets and a 154 in her only 18-hole round.

Looking to fill varsity spots this season are seniors TJ Johnson; sophomores Kael Netteberg, Caley Muller and Ella Marotte; and eighth graders Finn Henry and Hunter Simon. Muller carded a 154 in her only 18-hole round and had a 73.0 average in two NPC meets for the Nevis girls last spring.

“As a team, we are looking for the boys and girls being in the upper-middle in the Northern Pines Conference. Our neighboring towns produce talented golfers and numerous Northern Pines golfers find themselves competing at state,” said Nevis head coach Olaf Netteberg. “Lealan and Sofia both qualified and played in the state tournament last season and both were at the peak of their game while there. After that experience, they came home and spent a ton of time on a golf course last summer. Just guessing at this point, but when looking at the section opponents, Nevis should have golfers in Becker in mid-June.”