Four Comet girl golfers earn All-NEIC honors; Gallup All-NEIC for second season in a row

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

CRESCO — The last time Charles City had a golfer earned all-conference status all four years he or she played varsity golf was when Jackson Molstead accomplished that feat just before graduating in 2019.

2022 Charles City graduate Trevor White was an all-conference golfer during his entire varsity career, but had a season nixed due to the pandemic in 2020.

Providing that there won’t be another social-altering event in the near future, the Comets will likely be graced with another four-time all-conference golfer by the time Carson Gallup graduates in 2025.

After placing third at last year’s Northeast Iowa Conference Boys Meet last season, Gallup placed sixth with an 18-hole score of 80 during Monday’s NEIC Meet at Cresco Country Club.

With senior Gage Kilby (85), sophomore Riley Perez (86) and freshman Bryce Walker (93) all shooting career varsity 18-hole lows, the Comets placed sixth with 344 team points.

Crestwood, with Cade Korsmo shooting a medalist score of 74, and Cole Butikofer (78), Landen Bergan (79) and Lawson Erickson (79) rounding out the Cadets’ score (310), won the meet.

* During the NEIC Girls Golf Meet held at Waverly Municipal Golf Course on Monday, Charles City boasted four All-NEIC golfers.

Comet junior Shelby Effle, who was an all-conference golfer last season, earned the distinction again after shooting a career 18-hole low 97, which was good enough for sixth place.

The other three all-conference golfers for Charles City achieved their distinction during the waning weeks of their first season playing high school golf.

Senior Delaney Ruzicka (108), junior Alex Wohlers (109) and sophomore Payton Hadley (109) helped the Comets shoot their lowest 18-hole team score in three seasons (423), which placed them fourth behind New Hampton (379), led by individual runner-up Lauren Nuss (81); Waverly-Shell Rock (382), led by medalist Brenna Bodensteiner (74); and Crestwood (416), led by Cameron Moellers (79).

Decorah (512) and Waukon (540) rounded out the NEIC girls team placings.

* At the Top of Iowa-East Girls Golf Meet held at Highland Park in Mason City, North Butler junior Reagan Mulder, and Nashua-Plainfield juniors Paige Franzen and Ella Lindell each shot 91 to lead the field.

Mulder won the playoff for medalist honors with Franzen tabbed runner-up.

North Butler won the meet with a 383 team score followed by Newman Catholic (388), Nashua-Plainfield (408), Osage (426), West Fork (449), Saint Ansgar (454), Central Springs (460), Northwood-Kensett (467) and Rockford (538).

At the TOIE Boys Meet held at Round Grove Golf and Country Club in Greene, Osage compiled a winning team total (313) led by senior medalist Leo Klapperich (73).

The Green Devils were followed by West Fork (344), Rockford (356) led by senior runner-up Adam Wyborny (75), North Butler (360) led by sophomore third-place finisher Nolan Reser (76), Nashua-Plainfield (381), Northwood-Kensett (383), Central Springs (390), Newman Catholic (403) and Saint Ansgar (410).