Mitchell and Allison Meyerink are atop the Class AA Girls State Golf Tournament leaderboard in Pierre after day one as the Kernels look to end the spring sports season with a state title.
The Kernels shot 309 (+21) as a team, seven shots better than Aberdeen Central in second place. Mitchell was just three shots off its team record performance of 306, which they set last week Tuesday, also at Hillsview Golf Course in Pierre.
Meyerink, looking for her eighth individual win of the season, was the only golfer under par on Monday with a -2 (70).
Olivia Braun of Aberdeen Central is in second after a round of +1 (73), with Bryn Huber of Huron in third place after a +3 (75).
Meyerink ended her first round with five birdies, including back-to-back birdies on the fourth and fifth holes. The junior also birdied three par-three’s on holes four, fourteen and seventeen.
Quinn Dannenbring of Mitchell is in a three-way tie for fifth with a +5 (77), just two shots behind third place.
Sophomore Ava Eliason ended her round strong, shooting -2 over the last five holes. Eliason is tied for 16th after a +8 (80).
Rounding out day one for the Kernels is senior Lara Widstrom, who shot a +10 (82) to end up in a five-way tie for 20th.
The second and final day of competition starts Tuesday morning at Hillsview Golf Course in Pierre.
TEAM STANDINGS
1. Mitchell +21 (309)
2. Aberdeen Central +28 (316)
3. RC Stevens +32 (320)
4. Watertown +37 (325)
5. O’Gorman +48 (336)
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS
1. Allison Meyerink, Mitchell, -2 (70)
2. Olivia Braun, Aberdeen Central, +1 (73)
3. Bryn Huber, Huron, +3 (75)
4. Delilah Fuls, Brookings, +4, (76)
T5. Ellia Homstad, Yankton, +5 (77)
T5. Lauren Knapp, RC Stevens, +5 (77)
T5. Quinn Dannenbring, Mitchell, +5 (77)
T5. Alison Kennedy, Spearfish, +5 (77)