The Wessington Springs Spartan boys golf team closed out another successful season with a fifth-place finish at the South Dakota Class B State Golf Tournament June 1-2 in Brookings, led by senior JD Thompson’s fifth-place individual finish. Meanwhile, individual girls qualifier for Wessington Springs, Kaitlyn Braun, improved by 15 strokes in the second round of her first state tournament appearance.
The Spartans entered the final round in contention after a strong opening day and ultimately secured fifth place among the state’s top Class B teams. Thompson led the way for Wessington Springs, tying for fifth individually among a field of 141 golfers.
“How awesome to be able to say that you got fifth in the state,” Head Coach Regina Teveldal said. “Of course, I wanted all of them to medal individually, but the reality of that happening when there’s 141 kids, it’s tough. So for JD to be able to say against 141 kids he tied for fifth, that’s huge.”
Thompson was joined at state by teammates Luke Larson, who finished 46th, Tucker Thompson, who placed 52nd, and Heyns Bothma, who finished 75th.
“There were 141 boys that made it to state,” Teveldal said. “They’re in the top third of the state.”
On the girls side, Braun made her first appearance at the state tournament and finished tied for 54th place among 103 golfers.
After shooting a 105 during the opening round, Braun returned on the second day and shaved 15 strokes from her score.
“For your first time at state, that’s a lot to take in,” Teveldal said. “To come back the second day and improve by 15 strokes says a lot about her determination and ability to learn from the experience.”
Teveldal said the state tournament presents challenges unlike most high school sporting events because of both the size of the field and the mental endurance required throughout a round.
“The boys were competing against 141 other individuals and Kaitlyn was competing against 103 girls,” she said. “It’s not like any other sport. You go into track and you’re up against the top 16, sometimes the top eight. In golf, you’re competing against everybody.”
The veteran coach said staying mentally focused for nearly six hours can be just as important as hitting quality shots.
“I told them I’ve been in tournaments and situations where I’ve been nervous, but this is a whole different type of nervous,” Teveldal said. “You’re in front of many people that you don’t know and they’re following you the whole way.”
To combat those nerves, Teveldal encourages her golfers to stay present and focus on one shot at a time.
“I always tell them if you have a bad shot, you’ve got to forget about it,” she said. “Don’t think ahead. Quit trying to do the math and saying, ‘I’ve got to get a par on this hole.’ Focus on the shot you’re hitting right now.”
She also encourages players to develop routines that help them stay centered throughout a round.
“I tell them to find a mantra, whether it’s a prayer, a phrase or whatever helps keep them focused,” Teveldal said. “Take a couple big cleansing breaths before you hit the ball. Just find your happy place and stay in the moment.”
As proud as she was of the Spartans’ fifth-place finish, Teveldal said what stands out most is the growth she has witnessed from the golfers over the years.
“I’ve watched this transformation of these kids,” she said. “You have them when they’re in junior high, and you see this transformation into adulthood. Now you see them walk up to these big moments, and they handle themselves so well.”
She credited the team’s success to the confidence and patience they developed throughout their high school careers.
“Their confidence and patience have grown so much,” Teveldal said. “That’s what I’m most proud of.”