Eleva-Strum off to strong start to prep golf season, Gullicksrud wins first two meets

The Eleva-Strum High School Boys Golf Team demonstrated in the first official Dairyland Conference meet of the 2026 season they will be a contender for the conference title that's been in Cochrane-Fountain City's back pocket for the past few seasons.

Golfing at the Arcadia Country Club on Tuesday, April 14 in a meet hosted by Independence/Gilmanton, the Cardinals edged C-FC by four strokes in the team score 154-159 with Alma/Pepin tying for second, also at 159.

Leading the Cardinals was senior Garrett Gullicksrud who won his second meet in a row. He tied with Pirates' junior Parker Kujak for medalist honors with both golfers shooting 34s. E-S was able to put its other four varsity golfers in the top 10 to claim the meet title led by sophomores Cashton Kulig, Nolan Semingson, Asher Franson and Hunter Pederson, all placing sixth and shooting 40s for the nine holes played. Freshman Hunter Nicolet shot a 45.

A/P junior Anders Johanson and his senior teammate Trenton Krzoska both tied for third with scores of 37.

The remaining team scores were Whitehall 169, Osseo-Fairchild 198, Blair-Taylor 199 and Indy/Gilmanton 218. Sophomore Ty Skoyen led the Thunder with a score of 44 followed by sophomore Harrison Fisher 49, sophomore Dalton Clark 49, senior Orion Prudlck 53, junior Izaiah Green 53 and senior Nicholas Morales 69.

DC schools played what was termed a "non-conference warm-up" meet back on April 9, also at Arcadia. C-FC won this meet with a score of 157 followed by A/P's score of 171 and Central's score of 172. Also golfing were Blair-Taylor 184, Whitehall 189, O-F 217 and I/G 230.

Gullicksrud edged C-FC junior Brayden Stiehl by a single stroke 36-37 to claim medalist honors. Tying for second was B-T senior Kyle Jahr. E-S's other varsity scores were Kulig, sixth at 41, Franson 46, Pederson 49, Nicolet 49 and Semingson 53. For the Thunder, Skoyen shot a 43 to finish tied for 11th, Fisher 53, sophomore Landyn Fortis shot a 56, junior Skyler Marquhardt shot a 64 and sophomore Holden McCray had a score of 65.

The next DC conference meet is Monday, April 20 at the Coffee Mill Golf Course in Wabasha, Minn., the home course for Alma/Pepin. Osseo Golf Course takes its turn hosting a league meet on Thursday, April 23 starting at 4 p.m.

Fall Creek has also been in action at the start of the prep golf season, competing in meets last week in Western Cloverbelt Conference meets on Tuesday, April 7 and Thursday, April 9. The April 7 meet was at FC's home course, Hickory Hills in Eau Claire. The Crickets finished sixth in the team standings with a combined nine-hole score of 202. Bloomer won the meet shooting a 145 followed by Cadoot 155, Stanley-Boyd 164, Eau Claire Regis/Chippewa Falls McDonell 166 and Elk Mound 172. Bloomer senior Tegan Stiehl was the meet medalist shooting a 32. FC's top golfer was senior Evan Seidling with a score of 43 followed by junior Owen Walden 47, Simon Manning 53, freshman Shelton Madden 59 and sophomore Grant Dubiel 66.

The Cricket improved by two strokes as a team in the April 9 meet at Veterans Memorial Golf Course although still finishing sixth. Bloomer again won the meet in what looks like will be a march-through for the Blackhawks this season in the WCC with a score of 154 followed by Cadott 173, EM 174, S-B 174 and Regis/McDonell 181. Tegan and his sophomore brother Rowan finished tied for first with scores of 38 as Bloomer placed all five of their varsity golfers in the top five. Seidling placed in the top 10 individually in ninth with a score of 41 followed by freshman Tristan Widiker 51, Manning and junior Reeve Buchholz 54s and Walden 63.

The next WCC meet is Thursday, April 16 at Whitetail in Colfax hosted by Elk Mound. Speaking of Whitetail, it will be the site of the big Colfax Invitational meet next Wednesday, April 22.