Continuing an impressive run of success over the past half-dozen years, the Norris boys golf team shot the best second-day score and finished as runners-up in the Class B field at the 2025 Nebraska Boys Golf State Championships this week. 

Headlined by a (tied for) fifth place Class C finish from Zephyr Mowinkel of Milford, seven total athletes from schools in Southeast Nebraska placed inside the individual Top 20 in each of their respective classes, including four of Norris' five starters. EMF finished fourth in the Class C standings and Johnson-Brock also finished fourth in Class D.

State champions a year ago, the Titans settled for second this time around with a team score of 617 (+41), 12 strokes back of team champion Elkhorn North. Norris was in third after day one in Gering but shot the best team score of the week, 297, on day two to stay in contention for a title. Elkhorn North, however, shot a 298 and did not give Norris any ground for a comeback - those were the only sub-300 scores shot by any team in Class B this week. 

Read on to see the full standings breakdown involving all of our local athletes and teams from this year's boys golf state championships. 

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Congratulations to the local athletes and teams who have begun competition at the 2025 Nebraska Boys Golf State Championships at locations across the state this week! Four teams from Southeast Nebraska schools are vying for state titles across three different classes today, and a few athletes from other schools are in contention for an individual title as well.

District Roundup:

Local schools fared extremely well in district competition earlier this month. In Class D, Johnson-Brock was the host of a district competition and the Eagles took home the team title with a score of 346, 16 strokes ahead of second-place Deshler, which earned a spot in the state championship field. Four of Johnson-Brock's five starters earned individual bids, as did two of Deshler’s - though with both of those teams qualifying, all five of those starters are in the championship field this week. Class D competition runs all day Wednesday and Thursday in Columbus.

In Class C, EMF raced to a district title with an impressive team score of 322, 17 strokes clear of Bishop Neumann in second. Carter Milton was one of four Bobcats to earn an automatic individual bid and was the district individual champ with a score of 75. Milford and Johnson County Central have also sent individual qualifiers to the state championship course this week in Grand Island.

And in Class B, Norris dominated in a district they hosted, posting a sparkling team score of 299 to claim the team title. Bennington was second at 307. Norris athletes posted the third, fourth, and fifth best individual scores to get three automatic individual bids at state, and the difference between first place and tenth place in this field was only seven strokes. Crete's Keaton Draeger also qualified for the state championship field after tying for tenth in separate district action. Those athletes will rack up the miles as they travel to compete in Gering this week.

Status after Day One:

Class B:

Norris: T-3rd at +32 (320). Elkhorn North in 1st at +19

T-7th: Keaton Draeger (Crete), +5 (77)

T-16th: Turner Hoffman/Thomas Hansmeyer (Norris), +7 

T-24th: Cooper Rice (Norris), +8

T-33rd: Landon Moore/Cale Baker (Norris), +10

Andrew Nietfeldt of Elkhorn North in 1st at -2

Class C:

EMF: 4th at +34 (318). Archbishop Bergan in 1st at +12

T-11th: Zephyr Mowinkel (Milford), +3 (75)

T-13th: Aidan Vavra (EMF), +4

T-23rd: Keegan Jones (Johnson County Central), +6

T-32nd: Jack Waring (Johnson County Central)/Carter Milton (EMF), +8

T-42nd: Mikey Bartu (EMF), +10

T-52nd: Jacob Klooz (EMF), +13

T-68th: Zach Spohn (EMF), +17

Three athletes tied for 1st at -1

Class D:

Johnson-Brock: T-3rd at +67 (352)

Deshler: T-9th at +84

Creighton in 1st at +63

T-7th: Grady Behrends (Johnson-Brock), +10 (82)

T-27th: Gage Rasmussen (Johnson-Brock), +15

T-31st: Brody Koehler (Johnson-Brock), +16

T-37th: Easton Nash/Kaden Kleen (Deshler), +17

T-47th: Landyn Tuma (Deshler), +20

T-57th: Tate Hawley (Johnson-Brock), +23

T-74th: Hutch Vacek (Deshler), +27

T-76th: Austin Meyer (Johnson-Brock), +28

T-85th: Brent Buescher (Deshler), +31

 

Final Standings:

Class B:

Norris: 2nd at +41 (617)

Elkhorn North claimed the team title with a +29 score. 

T-11th: Cooper Rice (Norris), +10 (154)

T-16th: Landon Moore/Cale Baker (Norris)/Keaton Drager (Crete), +11

T-19th: Turner Hoffman (Norris), +12

28th: Thomas Hansmeyer (Norris), +14

Andrew Nietfieldt of Elkhorn North defeated Jaxson Hinze of York in a play-off to earn the individual title.

Class C:

EMF: 4th at +62 (638)

Kearney Catholic won the team title with a +17 score, ahead of Archbishop Bergan (+26).

T-5th: Zephyr Mowinkel (Milford), +4 (148)

T-24th: Carter Milton (EMF), +12 

T-28th: Aidan Vavra (EMF)/Jack Waring (Johnson County Central), +13

T-35th: Keegan Jones (Johnson County Central), +14

T-45th: Mikey Bartu (EMF), +18

48th: Jacob Klooz (EMF), +19

T-61st: Zach Spohn (EMF), +25

Class D:

4th: Johnson-Brock at +126 (702)

9th: Deshler at +157 

Creighton won the team title with a +107 score, ahead of Loomis (+124), North Central (+125) and Johnson-Brock.

T-18th: Brody Koehler (Johnson-Brock), +26 (170)

T-22nd: Grady Behrends (Johnson-Brock), +27

T-29th: Gage Rasmussen (Johnson-Brock), +31

T-34th: Kaden Kleen (Deshler), +33

T-37th: Easton Nash (Deshler), +34

51st: Landyn Tuma (Deshler), +39

T-67th: Austin Meyer (Johnson-Brock), +47

71st: Tate Hawley (Johnson-Brock), +48

T-75th: Hutch Vacek (Deshler), +53

T-80th: Brent Buescher (Deshler), +55