12 southeastern Minnesota golfers to watch in 2024

Apr. 16—Here are 12 golfers â€" 6 girls, 6 boys â€" to watch in southeastern Minnesota as the high school golf season gets underway:

—Jordana Windhorst Knudsen, Sr., Lake City: The two-time Post Bulletin Golfer of the Year has been a mainstay in the Tigers' lineup for a half-decade. She'll wrap up a storied high school career with her eyes on a state individual and team championship. The three-time defending Section 1, Class 2A medalist recently committed to Queens College in Charlotte, N.C. She has helped the Tigers to two team state championships (2021, 2022) and a runner-up finish (2023). Windhorst Knudsen tied for eighth place individually at state last spring.

—Calie Dockter, Sr., Byron: The Bears' standout had the third-best scoring average in southeastern Minnesota last season (82.5). She is the reigning Hiawatha Valley League medalist (78) and was the Section 1, Class 2A runner-up in 2023, shooting 84-79—163 at Northern Hills in Rochester. Dockter excelled at the state meet, firing an opening round 79, then an 82 in the finals, to finish at 161, tying for 15th place.

—Marin Keller, Sr., Winona: The Winhawks senior is the lone girls golfer from the Post Bulletin's coverage area to qualify for the Class 3A state meet last spring, where she tied for 39th. She finished her junior season with a scoring average of 86.1. Keller is committed to play college golf at South Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City, beginning this fall.

—Avery Meyer, Sr., Mayo: The Spartans' standout narrowly missed a trip to the Class 3A state meet last spring, shooting 83-95—178 to place 10th at the Section 1-3A meet. She finished her junior season with a sparkling scoring average of 88.0 (11th-best in southeastern Minnesota). Meyer finished 16th at the Big Nine Conference championship (90) and was the runner-up at the Rochester All-City Invitational (81). Meyer is one of Mayo's two captains this season, along with sophomore Flora Bolster.

—Ella Matzke, Sr., Lake City: A multi-sport standout for the Tigers, Matzke was honored last month as the Region 1 Triple-A (academics, arts, athletics) Award winner by the MSHSL. The award honors high school seniors throughout the state who have a 3.0 grade point average and participate in MSHSL-sponsored fine arts and athletics. Matzke is committed to play college golf at Concordia-St. Paul. She had the second-best scoring average (81.9) in the area last spring, finished third in Section 1-2A (81-83—164) and tied for eighth at the Class 2A state meet (82-75—157).

—Ailani Thiravong, Fr., Austin: Had the seventh-best scoring average (85.2) in the area last spring as just an eighth-grader. Thiravong, who is starting her third season on Austin's varsity, tied for seventh at the Big Nine Conference championships (83) and placed 14th in the Section 1, Class 3A meet (89-93—182). A two-time Post Bulletin All-Area First Team selection, 10 of her 14 rounds last season were in the 70s or 80s.

—Isaac Ahn, Jr., Mayo: The reigning Post Bulletin Golfer of the Year was remarkably consistent in his sophomore season. Ahn played 10 rounds for the Section 1, Class 3A champion Spartans, finishing all of them between 71 and 75. His season scoring average of 73.0 was the best in southeastern Minnesota. He placed third in the Section 1-3A meet (72-74—146) at The Jewel in Lake City, then closed his season by shooting 75-73—148 to finish 17th in the Class 3A state meet at Bunker Hills in Coon Rapids.

—Colton Rich, Jr., Lourdes: The Eagles' standout multi-sport athlete had a banner year as a sophomore, when he was the medalist at the Hiawatha Valley League meet (71), then won his second consecutive Section 1, Class 2A individual championship (74-76—150). He shot in the 70s in all 12 of his 18-hole rounds last year, including twice shooting a 70. He finished in the top-10 at the Class 2A state meet, shooting 74-76—150 to place 10th. His 73.8 scoring average for the season was the second-best in southeastern Minnesota.

—Ryan Nutter, Jr., La Crescent-Hokah: Nutter was the medalist at the Three Rivers Conference meet last spring as just a sophomore, shooting a 76. His 75.8 scoring average last year was the fourth-best in southeastern Minnesota. The highlight of his sophomore season came in his final meet of the year, when he tied for fifth place at the Class 2A state meet (75-73—148), the best finish of any Section 1-2A boys golfer. He qualified for state by placing third in the section meet (77-73—150). Nutter shot one of the best rounds of any area golfer last season when he posted a season-opening 67 at the Stewartville Invitational at Willow Creek Golf Course.

—Caleb Jannsen, Sr., Stewartville: The 6-foot-4 Jannsen has played on the Tigers' varsity since his middle school days. He has had quite a sports season already, helping the Tigers win the Class 3A football state championship last fall, then helped Stewartville place fifth in the Class 3A boys basketball state tournament last month. He is committed to play football at Winona State University. On the course, Jannsen had the sixth-best scoring average in southeastern Minnesota last spring (77.2). He tied for runner-up honors at the HVL meet (75) and tied for 12th at the Section 1, Class 2A meet (77-79—156).

—Braxton Berlin, Jr., Lake City: Last spring, as a sophomore, Berlin qualified for the Class 2A state meet when he beat teammate Noah Wallerich in a playoff at the Section 1-2A meet. He then shot 79-79—158 to tie for 33rd at the Class 2A state meet in Jordan. Berlin tied for fourth place at the Hiawatha Valley League meet (77) and shot in the 70s in 11 of the 14 meets he played in last spring, including a season-low round of 71.

—Garrett Sperber, Sr., PIZM: The Wildcats' senior is one of the top returning players for the defending Section 1, Class 2A champions, along with classmate Cameron Bruns and junior Collin Fogarty. Sperber, who recently committed to play college golf at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, had a season scoring average of 82.1 last spring. He was at his best in the postseason, though, when he averaged 79.6 in five rounds. He tied for ninth at the HVL championships, tied for 10th at the Section 1-2A meet and placed 55th (79-86—165) at the Class 2A state meet.