SPEARFISH – Sisseton’s Kelsey Heath finished runner-up at the Class A State Girls’ Golf Tournament to help power the Redmen to a second-place showing in the team points.

Sioux Falls Christian won the team crown, while Maiya Muller of Beresford edged Heath by just one stroke to claim the individual title. Heath birdied the final hole while Muller had a bogie, but it wasn’t quite enough to make up for a three-stroke difference heading into the 18th hole. Muller finished with a 155 two-day total and Heath a 156.

There was a three-way tie for fifth which included Callie Weisbeck of Mobridge-Pollock and Kierra Silk of Sisseton, who both finished with a 173.

Aberdeen Roncalli’s Claire Crawford had another solid day, finishing just out of the top 25, tying for 26th. The seventh grader shot a 99 following a 97 on Monday.

“I can’t even begin to tell you how proud I am of that kid,” said Roncalli coach Kerry Brandenburger. “Obviously, her goal was to break 100. She did it both days. When we talked about it last week, we wanted to be in the top 50 percent. She was almost in the top 30 percent.”

Brandenburger said there were two things that helped Crawford play her best golf of the season during the state tournament.

“Her driver was spot on for two days. I really believed she pulled the right club at the right time. She really did some course management. Her and I worked on that in her practice round and it really paid off for her,” Brandenburger said. “The other part of it was when she did get in trouble, she got herself out and she didn’t mentally take herself really too far out of the game.”

Naturally, Brandenburger is excited about the future holds for Crawford for the next five years.

“The best thing about Claire is she’s a great golfer,” Brandenburger said, “she’s a better kid, she’s a better human being.”

To view complete meet results click on the following link:

https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/7471024862979446591