WIAA BOYS GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEW
What: The 96th annual WIAA boys golf championships.
When: Monday and Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. Where: Blackwolf Run Meadows Course, Kohler.
Tickets: $9 plus online fees. Go to https://gofan.co/app/school/ WIAAWI?activity=Golf
Broadcast: The 9th and 18th holes will be streamed on WIAA.TV for free.
Results: Go to wiaawi.org
2021 champions
Teams: Division 1 - Kettle Moraine; Division 2 – Madison Edgewood; Division 3 – Kohler.
Individuals: Division 1 – Jacob Beckman, Middleton; Division 2 - Ethan Arendt, Madison Edgewood; Division 3 – Noah Kirsch, Lancaster.
Teams to watch
Division 1: Marquette has been the team to watch all season and its performance in the postseason has done nothing to change that opinion. The Hilltoppers won the regional by 37 strokes and sectional by 31 strokes. Both times their score was below 300.
Eau Claire Memorial, Kettle Moraine and Middleton are the next highest-ranked teams by the Golf Coaches Association of Wisconsin in the field. Middleton and Memorial return four starters from teams that placed third and 10th, respectively, last year. Kettle Moraine returns two starters from its state championship team: junior Alex Koenig and sophomore Spencer Stuke.
Division 2: Edgewood, the four-time defending champion, is the team to beat. Juniors Al Deang and Alex Weiss, who both finished among the top 21 at state last year, are back. Appleton Xavier could be in the mix, too. So could Winneconne. University School returns four players from the team that finished fifth last season.
Division 3: Kohler remains a threat, though Mineral Point was ranked ahead of the Blue Bombers in the latest state poll. Watch out for Cambridge and Lancaster, too.
Players to watch
(Athletes compete in Division 1 unless noted)
Michael Addie, Sussex Hamilton: The two-time Greater Metro Conference player of the year storms into the state meet fresh off victories in the regional and sectional meets. The senior tied for 16th last year.
Joe Fricker, Homestead: The senior tied for eighth last season, making him the area's top returning qualifier. He is the North Shore Conference's player of the year.
Owen Gardner, University School: The senior won regional and sectional titles in Division 2 to lead the Wildcats to their second straight appearance.
Simon Graham, Union Grove: The senior won the sectional title at Wanaki with a 1-over 73, sinking a birdie putt on the final hole to give the school its first team berth in school history.
Peter Haideman, Arrowhead: The senior was one of the survivors of a rugged sectional hosted by Arrowhead, taking second overall at the meet to claim a spot at state as an individual qualifier. He finished 65th at state last year.
Will Hemauer, Marquette: The senior might be the hottest player going to Kohler. He fired a 7-under 65 to win the regional at Brown Deer and finished with a 2-under 70 to win the sectional at Brighton Dale. He tied for 45th last year. Sebastian Kasun, Marquette: The senior arrives at state after back-to-back 1-over par rounds in the regional and sectional meets. His second-day 72 at state last year tied for the second-lowest round of the day and helped him tie for 18th.
Alex Koenig, Kettle Moraine: The junior just missed winning the Classic 8 player of the year, but captured the title at the conference 18-hole tournament as well as at Waukesha County Championship. His 25th-place finish last year is the best of any current Laser.
Luke Ladd, Homestead: The senior was the No. 2 player in the North Shore behind Fricker, though this postseason he has been the team's top performer.
Hayden LeMonds, Marquette: The senior is the only player left from the Hilltoppers' 2019 state championship team. His best finish at state was a tie for 31st last season.
Aiden Parent, Oconomowoc: The freshman showed his mettle by winning a playoff for the final individual berth from the ultra-deep Homestead Sectional.
Cassie Psuik, Greenfield: The junior competes with the boys because Greenfield doesn't have a girls team. The Loyola Chicago recruit tied for the regional title with a 6-over 78 at Broadlands and took second at the sectional at Wanaki with a 2-over 74.
Ben Soboleski, Wauwatosa East/West: The senior tied for 13th at state last year, which makes him the No. 2 returner in the area.
Finn Sommers, Wauwatosa East/West: The senior has been one of the Greater Metro Conference's top players the past couple of seasons. He took 76th at state last year
Will Summers, Slinger: The senior, an all-state pick last season, earned his first state berth by tying for second at the Hartford Sectional held at Washington County.
Spencer Stuke, Kettle Moraine: The sophomore claimed the Classic 8 player of the year honor for the defending state champion.