Meet the big hitters in 2023 high school golf: Kathryn VanArragon of Blaine and Reese McCauley of Simley
They won the past two Class 3A girls championships and plan to play college golf right nearby.
April 12, 2023 at 3:08PM
The Class 3A girls individual competition runs through counterparts and friends, Blaine senior Kathryn VanArragon and Simley junior Reese McCauley. They have been the past two medalists and have combined for three titles. VanArragon, who has signed a letter of intent with St. Thomas, is the defending state champion, having finished with a two-day total of 9-under-par 135 at Bunker Hills Golf Club in Coon Rapids last June. She won her first state title as a seventh-grader in 2018. McCauley, who committed to Minnesota in January and will join older sister Isabella with the Gophers, posted a 139 total to win the championship in 2021. She registered the same score a year ago while finishing third.
Youth movement
The Class 3A boys state tournament leaderboard was dominated by seniors last year. Maple Grove junior Ryan Stendahl was the only underclassmen to crack the top six, finishing fifth with a two-day total of even-par 144. He is joined by four other juniors and two sophomores among the best in the state. Farmington seniors Zach Rouleau and Kyler Schwamb can't be overlooked.
Changing direction
Roseville senior Olivia Salonek graduated early and is playing in amateur junior events. An Iowa signee, she finished last season ranked fifth in the state by the Minnesota Golf Association. She has shot 2-under-par 70 in the state tournament three times and finished as the runner-up as a sophomore in 2021. Her lowest finish in the state tournament was 16th as a seventh-grader.
Top 10 boys players to watch
Jake Birdwell, Spring Lake Park, junior
Charlie Moen, Benilde-St. Margaret's, junior
Torger Ohe, Edina, sophomore
Andrew Ramos, Totino-Grace, junior
Zach Rouleau, Farmington, senior
Kyler Schwamb, Farmington, senior
Carter Spalding, Woodbury, junior
Ryan Stendahl, Maple Grove, junior
Sam Udovich, Cretin-Derham Hall, sophomore
Tyler Wanous, Eastview, senior
Top 10 girls players to watch
Rose Baynes, Eden Prairie, senior
Kate Burke, Edina, senior
Saachi Deshmukh, Wayzata, junior
Bella Leonhart, Forest Lake, sophomore
Reese McCauley, Simley, junior
Amelia Morton, Maple Grove, junior
Avery O'Donnell, Elk River, senior
Nicole Reineke, Chaska, senior
Kathryn VanArragon, Blaine, senior
Selena "Siyu" Wu, Minnetonka, freshman
Six players plus head coach Garrett Raboin and assistant coach Ben Gordon are from Minnesota. The tournament’s games will be televised starting Monday.
