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.
This is the fourth story on area high school golfers and it centers around some of the best players for Watertown High School’s boys golf teams since what is esstentially the fall of 1985.
Of course, we know Watertown’s boys won their first state championship last fall since 1971. The Arrows did have four state runner-up teams, three state champion golfers and two state runner-up golfers during this span.
The first state high school boys golf tournament was held in 1928 and the one class system continued through 1973 when a two-class system was adopted. The three class system, with Class AA and A boys golf in the fall began in 2001 and continues to this day.
Up next in the series will be a story on amateur baseball.
Let’s hit the start button on the Arrow boys’ golfers.
20 Favorites: Links to the stories highlighting the best northeastern South Dakota athletes since 1984
20. Others
Here are Watertown golfers who either medaled or notched top-25 finishes once in state tournaments since 1985 who are not included in the group below. They are esstentially honorable mention performers.
The names are Jonathan Lake, Colton Hanson, Jade Hemiller, Kyle Hulscher, David Hinderaker Mark Buche, Zach Waba, Gavin Hibbert, Jake Whitlock, Stuart Stein, Kasey Chapin, Charlie Mack, Ross Kranz and Brett Sime. Sime led our area Class A-B boys’ golfers list along with his brother Bart, but he did place ninth and led the Arrows to a third-place finish in the 1988 state Class A tournament before moving back to Britton. Let’s also mention Nick Crank, who won the Eastern South Dakota Conference golf tournament in 2004.
I’d also like to mention Drew and Gabe Norberg. Drew was a three-year regular on the Arrows’ varsity golf team before deciding prior to his senior year to go out for football again. He served as Watertown’s quarterback in 2021. Gabe, who is entering his senior season, played on Watertown’s state championship team in 2023.
Drew Norberg: Did You Know Our Quarterback Used to be a Golfer?
19A. Paul Robson
Robson only medaled once in a state tournament, tying for 18th in the 1991 state A tournament, but gets a spot on the list because he’s accomplished something (so far) that no other player on the list has. He also coached Watertown High School’s girls golf team for at least a year.
Earlier this year, he was inducted into the Northeast Community College Hall of Fame for his exploits as a golfer for the school, He won the 1999 Region IX Men’s Golf Tournament and qualified for nationals (taking 15th, one of top finishes in school history). He also took third in the long drive contest at the national tourney.
19B. Jesse Stolp
Stolp kicks off a group of five-straight golfers who each medaled or had top-25 finishes in two state tournaments for the Arrows.
He placed 16th on a state runner-up team in 1996 and tied for 21st in 1998.
18. Shawn Crick
A rare left-hander on this list, Crick placed 21st in the 1992 state Class A tournament and moved up to No. 13 in 1993.
17. Jaden Solheim
Solheim is only heading into his senior year with the Arrows but has medaled twice at state, taking seventh in 2022 and 14th in 2003 on Watertown’s state championship team.
Don’t bet against him medaling a third time this fall.
16. Dustin Kriech
Kriech was a key player on Watertown’s state runner-up teams in 1996 and 1997.
He finished 10th at state in 1996 and fifth in 1997.
15. Chris Saylor
Saylor recorded a pair of top-10 finishes in state Class A tournaments for Watertown in 1999 and 2000.
He placed eighth in 1999 and sixth in 2000 on a third-place team.
14. John Campbell
I apologize for not really knowing, or remembering, the whole story behind Campbell. He medaled only once at state and that came in 2001 when he finished as the state Class A runner-up.
He was one of three Arrows in the top 20 and they finished third in the standings. He fell just out of the top 25 (28th) as a junior in 2000.
13. Bobby & Colby West
Both West brothers each medaled twice in state Class AA tournaments for the Arrows. Bobby placed seventh at state on Watertown’s runner-up team in the first AA tourney in 2002. He returned the next year ot take third at a senior.
Colby came later and placed 23rd in 2008 and 22nd in 2009.
I do remember that Bobby spent a few years chasing his dream of becoming a professional golfer.
12. The Mahowalds
Andy Mahowald was a pretty darn good football and basketball player for the Arrows not long after I arrived in Watertown and his four sons (Drew, Nick, Sam and Mark) each played golf in the fall for WHS.
Drew placed sixth in the 2013 state AA tourney, Nick 13th in 2014 and 10th in 2015 and Sam ninth in 2020. Mark…
