The Mitchell High School girls golf team delivered a standout performance on their home turf Friday, securing second place out of 14 Class AA programs at the annual Mitchell Invitational. Playing at the scenic Lakeview Golf Course, four Kernel golfers cracked the top 15 individually, showcasing depth and consistency.
Mitchell posted a team score of 307, finishing just 10 shots behind tournament champion Aberdeen Central, which dominated with a 297. Brandon Valley took third with a 319, followed by O'Gorman (329) and Yankton (341) rounding out the top five.
Londyn Hajek led the Kernels with a solid 3-over-par 75, tying for seventh place individually alongside O'Gorman's Ari Jacobs. After a 3-over 39 on the front nine—highlighted by a birdie on the par-5 ninth—Hajek settled in on the back, firing an even-par 36 to close strong.
Anna Eliason followed closely, tying for ninth with a 4-over-par 76 after matching 2-over 38s on both nines. Her round included a crisp birdie on the par-5 15th hole. Just a stroke behind, Maddie Childs secured 11th place with a 5-over-par 77. Childs bounced back from a 4-over 40 on the front—featuring a birdie on No. 5—with a cleaner 1-over 37 on the back, highlighted by birdies on holes 15 and 17.
Brynlee Sabers completed the Kernels' scoring, tying for 14th with a 7-over-par 79. She was one of the tournament's top performers on the front nine, carding a 1-under 35 with birdies on Nos. 3 and 9.
Aberdeen Central's Emma Dohrer earned medalist honors with an even-par 72. Teammate Olivia Braun tied for second at 1-over 73 alongside Brandon Valley's Vanessa Smith, O'Gorman's Erin Hurd, and Watertown's Gabi Olson.
Mitchell also saw Mia Larson tie for 28th with an 87, and Elliot Smith finish tied for 68th with a 101. In the junior varsity competition, Kate Schutz led the way with an 86 (tied for 25th), followed by Emma Reinesch (90, tied for 39th) and Presley Meyerink (101, tied for 68th) in the 93-golfer field.
The Kernels look to carry this momentum into the Watertown Invite on Tuesday, May 19, at Cattail Crossing Golf Course, where they'll tee off at 10 a.m. against another competitive field.