Roger Merriam's look at some of the top Class A and B high school girls golfers since 1985

Editor's Note: Sports writer Roger Merriam is compiling a "20 Favorites" series highlighting some of his favorite athletes in a variety of high school/other sports since he started working at the Watertown Public Opinion in December 1984. The series is about northeastern South Dakota athletes, but some played at colleges all over the state and others have moved to other areas.

I've received a ton of positive comments about the "20 Favorites" series and I can only say that reliving many of the highlights of the past 40 years has been very enjoyable.

There may have a been a time in my early years when high school girls golf wasn't something that attracted a lot of attention. Obviously, thanks in part to Tiger Woods, the game's popularity has soared.

And when you look at the look some of the top area Class A and B high school girls golfers since December of 1984 (technically spring of 1985), area girls golfers have definitely made their mark these past 40 years. As always, don't worry about the order until it gets down to the final few spots.

South Dakota had one class of girls golf frrom 1973-76 and the sport was played in the fall. It moved to spring when the two-class system (Class B and A) started in 1977 and ran through 2001. The current three-class system (adding Class AA) was started in 2002.

Up next in the series will be a look at the some of the top area Class A and B high school boys golfers.

20. Others

Great research requires keeping good notes. My biggest fear in this project has been missing somebody really, really big. That hasn't happened yet, but sometimes reading my "chicken scratch" can be a little iffy.

Special mention goes to these girls who medaled (or placed in the top 25) at state at least three times: Kim Potas, Kayla Kirchmeier and Tenise Diehl of Webster/Webster Area; Nora Remily of Britton; Katie Kloster and Tara DesLauriers of Clark/Clark-Willow Lake; Jenny DeJong, Stacy Quail and Jaci Carter of Clear Lake/Deuel and Regan Benike and Michelle Gerhold of Castlewood.

20 Favorites:Links to the stories highlighting the best northeastern South Dakota athletes since 1984

Other multiple state medalists include Amy Halverson of De Smet; Nicki Mortimer, Kara Pletan, Stacey Hansen, Dawn Goodroad and Jaydyn TeGantvoort of Deuel; Melissa Jager and Bobbi Jo Bohnet of Hamlin; Tiffany Perry of Sioux Valley; Angie O'Neill, Ashley Heupel and Steph Wookey of Clark/Clark-Willow Lake; Becca Menking and Kayla Kirchmeier of Webster; Kaylea Karst of Castlewood; Krysia Spader of De Smet; Kali Ramsey of Britton-Hecla; Samantha Holderby of Sioux Valley; Marissa Johnson, Maci Colberg, Mattie Nepodahl, Bailey Landmark and Allison Andrews of Deubrook Area; Marion Mischel of Milbank; and Kierra Silk of Sisseton. Apologies to any I've missed.

19. Hehn, Keller, Stevens & Schwartz

Make that Kami Hehn of Deuel, Sarah Keller of Webster Area, Chynna Stevens of Clark/Clark-Willow Lake and Morgan Schwartz of Deubrook Area. They were each four-time place winners in Class B.

Hehn accomplished the feat in (2000 and 2002-04), Keller (1995-1998), Stevens (2009-2010 and 2012-13) and Schwartz (2011-14). Stevens played on state champion Clark-Willow Lake teams in 2009 and 2010 and Schwartz on state champion Deubrook Area teams in 2011 and 2014.

18. Kelsi Bortnem, Sioux Valley

Sioux Valley now plays Class A, but the Cossaacks were in Class B when Bortnem medaled in four-straight state tournaments from 2006-2010.

She placed fourth in 2004 and finished second in 2009.

17. Caitlyn Christianson, Deubrook Area & Kaylee Johnson, Estelline Hendricks

I linked these two girls together because they were both state runner-ups who played for state championship squads. Christianson actually played on four state B championship teams from Deubrook Area (2014-17). She had four top-10 finishes, including the second-place finish in 2016.

Johnson tied for second in 2021, leading Estelline-Hendricks to the state B title. She also finished 22nd in 2019 before the 2020 spring high school season was wiped out by COVID-19. Her cousin Sadie also played on the Redhawks' championship squad and closed out her career by placing 24th in the state B tourney this June.

16. Hamlin's Koistis

That would be Molly and her younger sister Taylor, the daughters of longtime Hamlin head coach Tim Koisti, and cousins Eva and Anna.

Molly was a four-time state Class B place winner from 2012-15, highlighted by tying for fourth in 2013 and taking third in 2015. Taylor tied for ninth as a senior in 2021 after not getting to play along with the rest of the state as junior in 2020.

Eva placed 19th in 2023 and capped her high school career by placing 14th this June.

15. Brittany Hanten, Deuel

Two sisters from Clark (keep scrolling down the list if that isn't a big enough of a hint) won state B girls golf titles from 2005-2008, the same four years that Hanten medaled in the state tournament.

She may have been overshadowed, but Hanten was a really good player. She placed 12th a freshman in 2005, fifth as a sophomore in 2006, fourth as a junior in 2007 and second as a senior in 2006.

Then Hanten played four years of NCAA Division I golf at South Dakota State University. She has been coaching boys and girls golf at Sioux Falls Washington.

14. Sisseton's Heaths

There aren't a lot of Class A girls golfers on this list, but the Heath sisters of Sisseton definitely earned their spot.

Older sisters Courtney and Kelsey each helped lead Sisseton to state Class A runner-up finishes in both 2019 and 2021. Courtney just missed medaling by placing 26th as a freshman in 2016 and came back to take 11th in 2017, 24th in 2018 and 11th in 2019.

Kelsey finished 12th in 2017 and after a bad first day prevented her from medaling in 2018, she took third as a sophomore in 2019 and second as a senior in 2021. Again, she lost 2020 to COVID-19.

They both went on to golf at Mount Marty in Yankton.

Younger sister Kenzley played in her first state A tournament as a seventh-grader in June, tying for 55th.

13. Jenna Buckwalter, Lake Preston & Hamlin

In the smaller schools for sure, golfers aren't just golfers and typically play a variety of sports. Buckwalter definitely did that and with her baskeball and volleyball success, it was easy to forget she may have accomplished the most on the golf course.

She medaled five times in her high school career, taking sixth in the state B in 2001 and 11th in 2002 while playing for Lake Preston. Buckwalter then went to Hamlin and after tying for second in 2003, she returned to take second again in both 2004 and 2005.

Her golf career continued at North Dakota State University.

12. Kali Trautman, Deuel

The 2014 Deuel High School graduate had four top-5 finishes in the state B tournament, taking fifth in both 2011 and 2012 and second in both 2013 and 2014.

She kept playing the game very well at the next level while competing for Augustana University in Sioux Falls.

11. Kayla Ovall, Deubrook Area

Ovall probably deserves to be higher, but again the focus should be on making the list and not the order.

Get this, she was a six-time state Class B medalist, taking 20th as a seventh-grader in 2011 and also placed 16th in 2012, seventh in 2013, fifth in 2014 and 2016 and first in 20115. Wow.

Ovall played on four state B championship teams for the Dolphins and then took her game to the next level at Mount Marty in Yankton.

10. Brynn Roehrich, Clark-Willow Lake

Maybe there's a little recent bias here, but no one can argue that Roehrich belongs on the list. She is set to become a sophomore for Clark-Willow Lake and already is a three-time state medalist.

She opened by tying for eighth as a seventh-grader in 2022, took second in 2023 and came back this spring to win the state B title as a freshman.

And she typically wears some cool golf shirts. There could be a lot more to come in her final three years.

9. Brittany Tillma, Milbank

Milbank's girls golf team finished second in both the 2008 and 2009 state Class A tournaments and Tillma was a big reason why.

The four-time state medalist placed 18th in 2006 and 19th in 2007 before jumping up to fourth in 2008 and to first in 2009.

8. Rachel Patnoe, Milbank

Another big factor in Milbank's back-to-back state A runner-up teams in 2008 and 2009, Patnoe was a six-time state Class A medalist.

She placed seventh in 2005, 22nd in 2006, fifth in 2007, second in 2008, fourth in 2009 and first in 2010. Patnoe won her championship as a senior when after a storm hit on Monday, the tourney was reduced to a one-day, 18-hole event.

Patnoe, whose father Randy owned the Pine Hills Golf Club in Milbank for many years and also coached the Bulldog golf teams for a bit, later played at Southwest Minnesota State University.

7. Courtni Frank, Deubrook Area

Frank was another golfer who played collegiately at Southwest Minnesota State University, She was a six-year letter winner and three-time state B place winner for Deubrook Area teams that won in 2017 and took second in both 2018 and 2018.

Frank won a state title as a sophomore in 2017 and followed up by taking third in 2018 and second in 2019.

6. Erika & Kelsi Nelson, Hamlin

Let's start with what I truly know. Erika was a four-time state B medalist from 1991 through 1994, taking sixth in 1991, second in both 1992 and 1993 and first in 1991. Kelsi also was a four-time state medalist from 1998-2001, taking 12th in 1998, third in 1999, ninth in 2000 and first in 2001.

This is where my brain is playing tricks on me. I know I got a phone call once and I believe they are sisters and maybe not the only siblings who played for the Chargers.

We're going with Erika and Kelci because they won state championships.

5. Kelsey Goens, Deubrook Area

Now we're hitting a run of golfers who won multiple state individual championships and that's at least party why they're heading this list.

Goens won her state B titles as a junior and senior in 2010 and 2011 and finished her prep career as a six-time state medalist. She also was fifth in 2009, sixth in 2007, 14th in 2008 and 20th in 2006.

She led the Dolphins to a runner-up finish in 2010 and their first state title in 2011.

4. Darla Christopherson, Hamlin

Christopherson placed 18th in the state Class B tournament as a freshman in 1988 and followed by winning three consecutive state championships from 1989-1991.

She helped the Chargers finish as the runner-up in the team standings in 1991. I couldn't find any reference to her playing college golf.

3. Kim Steffensen, Hamlin

Christopherson began her career as a teammate of Steffensen, who also won three-straight state Class B titles from 1986 to 1998 and led the Chargers to state team titles in 1987 and 1988.

Steffensen also finished as the state runner-up in 1985 and may have placed other years, but I only started looking in 1985 because that's technically the first year of girls golf after I arrived at the Public Opinion.

She later went to play at NCAA Division 1 Wichita State.

2. Ashley Kaufman, Clark

If you want to nitpick, Ashley technically only won two state B titles (2004 and 2006) but her accomplishments are more than worth of being at this spot in this list.

She was six-time state medalist who never finished worse than fourth at state. Ashley took second in 2002, third in 2003, fourth in 2005 and second in 2007. I even got to witness her record a hole-in-one in the 2006 State B tournament at the Rocky Run Golf Course in Dell Rapids.

We should also mention, she helped the Clark and later the Clark-Willow Lake girls golf teams reel off a state-record seven-consecutive state B titles for coach John Brown from 2003-2010.

1. Kimmy Kaufman, Clark/Clark-Willow Lake

It just doesn't seem right to call her Kimmy, but I remember the tiny little seventh-grader that burst onto the state high school golf scene with a fifth-place finish in 2004.

She later won state B titles in 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009 and also finished second behind sister Ashley in 2006. After a notable career at NCAA Division I Texas Tech University, Kim joined the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in 2014.

Kaufman isn't a regular on the LPGA Tour anymore, but tied for 58th in the 2024 U.S. Women's Open. She has earned more than $1.5 million in her career on the LPGA Tour.

Ashley didn't continue her golf career after high school, but the two Kaufman sisters from Clark definitely made their mark on high school girls golf in South Dakota.

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com