Sean Seefeld - Dickinson State Sports Information Graduate Assistant
Eagle, Neb. - The DSU golf teams wrapped up the 2024-25 North Star Athletic Association Championship this week at Woodland Hills Golf Course. The spring portion of the tournament included rounds three and four and followed the fall's opening two rounds held at CrossRoads Golf Course in Carrington, N.D.
The opening round of the spring tournament saw teams battle through challenging conditions, with wind gusts reaching up to 40 miles per hour, making scoring difficult on the par-71 layout.
The Blue Hawk men finished third overall at +76 for the tournament. Blake Barner led DSU with a steady performance across all four rounds, finishing eighth individually at +12 (298), including a +2 in round four. Trevor Berry (+19, 305) and Jayce Johnson (+30, 316) followed closely behind, while Torrin Ellis (+32, 318) and Tyus Thomas contributed in rounds one, two, and four (+20, 215). Luke Anderson stepped in for round three, carding a +10.
Barner, Berry, and Johnson were each recognized with All-Conference Honorable Mention honors for their performances in the tournament.
On the women's side, the Blue Hawks took second place with a team total of +127. Ellia Soydara was the top finisher for DSU, placing second overall at +18 (304), and earned First Team All-Conference honors. Elly Leblanc (+26, 312), Cheyenne Jacobs (+47, 333), and Jori Haugen (+55, 341) each earned All-Conference Honorable Mention recognition for their efforts. Brooklyn Materi, who opened the tournament with rounds of 79 and 72, was forced to withdraw from round three due to a back injury but returned for round four with an 83.
"Our seniors did a great job finishing out their career. Sometimes that's a tough thing to do. They played in the moment and led the teams to solid finishes," said Head Coach Thadd O'Donnell. "Ellia finished second overall, three strokes off the leader in the last two rounds. She played very focused. Very proud of how both teams competed and how they carry themselves on and off the course."
