GROTON – Claire Crawford’s string of three straight tournament victories came to an end Thursday afternoon, but the knock came from none other than teammate Grace Seyer, who fired a career-best 88 to win the Region 1A Girls’ Golf Tournament at Olive Grove Golf Course, leading the Cavaliers to the team championship by one stroke over Madison.

Seyer tracked down the leaders on the back half of Thursday’s action, wresting the lead away from Groton’s Carly Guthmiller and holding on down the stretch.

“It feels really good,” Seyer said of the win. “I’m usually just cheering on my team, and I just want my team to do good. It’s a good feeling, but I’m just proud of how our team came together.”

Ironically, it was a mid-round stoppage of action that seemed to spur the Cavaliers on. Players were pulled off the course just ahead of the midway point to let a passing storm skirt the area.

“After we came in, I just found my team and sat and ate my snacks,” Seyer said. “Just talking to my teammates and they were like yeah, we’re not doing too good. I don’t know. After that storm warning we all pulled it together, so something was good there.”

For the enquiring minds, the snack of choice happened to be dehydrated strawberries.

“I felt like I was having a not super-duper good day, but after we came in (for) the storm warning and we went back out, I guess everything worked out,” Seyer said. “My irons weren’t amazing today, but I was able to pull it together in the end.”

“We’ve got five gals that can play,” said Cavaliers’ coach Jon Murdy. “It’s not who is going to step up, it’s just when. Claire has been doing it kind of all season for us, which is nice, but at the same time other people know they need to do something. Today it was Grace.”

Seyer’s round led the Cavaliers to a team score of 379, topping the 5-team field and guaranteeing Roncalli a spot in the Class A state tournament field. Madison was just behind in second place with a team score of 380, while Groton claimed the third spot with a 407.

“At the beginning of the year, that’s what they want,” Murdy said. “Everything we try to do is to prepare for that.”

Guthmiller, who held the lead through the first nine holes before running into a bit of trouble through a handful of holes, finished in second place, within reach of Seyer heading into the last hole.

“I’ve been going through a funk where I haven’t been able to hit anything,” Guthmiller said. “These past two meets I’ve just been focused, trying to get back on track. The front nine went really good. I could hit my driver, I could hit my irons, I could putt. Then I got to the second nine. I hit my driver nice, and I was in a weird spot. I hit my iron and went left of the green in the sand pit, and my chipping has not been good lately.”

Ava Danielson (96) finished in a tie for ninth for the Cavaliers, while Crawford’s 97 put her in 11th. Mackenzie Wegehaupt was 12th with a 98.

The top 18 golfers and the top three teams in the field earned themselves a spot in the state tournament. 

Team Points: Aberdeen Roncalli 379, Madison 380, Groton 407, Milbank 451, Sioux Valley 454.

Top 18 Individual Results

1, Grace Seyer, Aberdeen Roncalli, 88; 2, Carly Guthmiller, 89; 3, Caitlyn Cradduck, Sioux Valley, 92; 4, Elliot Hortness, Sisseton, 93; 5, (tie) Madison Bushkofsky, Flandreau, 94 and Delilah Maxwell, Madison, 94; 7, (tie) Sienna Maxwell, Madison, 95, and Hayden Oftedal, Madison, 95; 9, (tie) Madison Rummel, Madison, 96, and Ava Danielson, Aberdeen Roncalli, 96;

11, Claire Crawford, Aberdeen Roncalli, 97; 12, Mackenzie Wegehaupt, Aberdeen Roncalli, 98; 13, Natalie Berg, Dell Rapids, 100; 14, Carlee Johnson, Groton, 103; 15, Shaylee Schuchard, Milbank, 104; 16, (tie) Morgan Helms, Aberdeen Roncalli, 105, Kenzley Heath, Sisseton, 105, and Mia Crank, Groton, 105.

Other Groton golfers: 21, Claire Schuelke, 110; 26, Carly Gilbert, 122.

Other Milbank golfers: 20, Camila Monroy, 109; 22, Jaclyn Wiik, 113; 28, (tie) Mia VanLith, 125; 31, Jacynda Street, 144.

To see complete tournament results, click on the following link:

https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/10493183946198636182