Boys golf: Roberts chosen Most Valuable Athlete for Ponies

For the second year in a row, Zeke Roberts was honored as the Most Valuable Athlete for the Stillwater boys golf team.

The junior led the way for the balanced Ponies with a 74.0 scoring average in Suburban East Conference matches, ranking ninth among all players in the conference.

Brendon Rickheim, Luke Myers, Parker Trobec, Dane Berggren and Ryan Stanek joined Roberts in earning all-conference honors. Stillwater boasted five All-SEC players, which was one more than Cretin-Derham Hall. White Bear Lake finished with three and was the only other team with more than two all-conference players.

Despite placing third in the SEC Tournament, Stillwater (55) won the conference championship with its steady play all season, finishing ahead of Cretin-Derham Hall (52), White Bear Lake (50) and Park (46). It marked the Ponies’ first conference title since 2019.

Stillwater placed second behind the Raiders in the Section 4AAA Tournament, just ahead of Mahtomedi and White Bear Lake.

Berggren and Trobec, the only seniors in Stillwater’s section lineup, each qualified for the state tournament and placed 63rd and 81st to wrap up their prep careers.

Freshman Grant Cotton received the team’s Academic Award while Rickheim took home the Most Improved Award. Berggren received the Work Ethic Award and Owen Myers garnered the Best Newcomer Award.

Also announced at the team’s postseason banquet is that Luke Myers, Roberts and Stanek will serve as captains for next year’s squad.

Boys golf

All-Conference: Zeke Roberts, Brendon Rickheim, Luke Myers, Parker Trobec, Dane Berggren and Ryan Stanek; Individual State qualifiers: Parker Trobec and Dane Berggren; Academic Award: Grant Cotton; Most Improved Award: Brendon Rickheim; Work Ethic Award: Dane Berggren; Best Newcomer Award: Owen Myers; Most Valuable Athlete: Zeke Roberts; Captains elect: Luke Myers, Zeke Roberts and Ryan Stanek.