Vagts wins playoff to join Anderson in earning bids to state

When 36 holes wasn’t enough to determine the state qualifiers in the boys section 2AA Championships, a trio of golfers teed off at hole No. 10 in a playoff to determine the final individual qualifier.

Waseca’s Cody Vagts, as well as a pair of St. Peter golfers, were set to go as long as it would take to determine a winner but it ended up taking just the one hole as Vagts recovered from a drive to the right of fairway to get up and down for a par, putting the pressure on the Saints duo who missed their par putts wide, punching Vagts ticket to state and setting him up to join teammate Hunter Anderson.

“I was very nervous and I just knew I kind of needed to hit the fairway there,” said Vagts. “Obviously I didn’t, but then I was just able to scramble and make a par from there.”

Anderson finished the 36-hole in 10th as an induvial with a total score of 148, a single stroke ahead of the three-player tie that resulted in the playoff, but didn’t give too much though to the standings as the day rolled on.

“I just sort of wanted to come out here and have fun, that was my main thing,” Anderson added. “Towards the end, coaches were coming up to me asking me if I wanted to know and I just said, nope, I don’t wanna know, and I was able to pull it off in the end.”

The MSHSL Class AA State meet will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, June 11-12, on Jordan’s Ridges at Sand Creek Golf Course. The first day will see Anderson tee off at 7:30 a.m., on hole No. 10 followed by Vagts at 7:38 a.m., also at No. 10. The field will be re-seeded before the final round.

“I guess just competing with the best players in the state and see where we finish from there,” said Vagts about what he looks forward to the most at state.

“I think it’s just pretty cool that we’re both able to go to state, and I’m just ready to have fun and and see the competition out there,” added Anderson.

Waseca also had a pair of girls, senior Emma Keith and sophomore Madison Rasche, battling in the final round of the section championship. Keith closed out her high school athletic career with two-day score of 187 to finish 16th overall while Rasche earned 20th overall with a final score of 193.