Arcadia golf team qualifies for D2 sectional tournament

After bowing out in the regional round last spring, the Arcadia boys golf team was motivated when the 2023 postseason opened last Tuesday on a course the Raiders know well.

Arcadia improved on last year’s finish by taking third place at Tuesday’s regional at the par-71 Trempealeau Mountain Golf Course and qualifying for the sectional tournament in Lake Wissota this Tuesday.

“What we stress to the kids—and I beat it ‘til the kids get sick of me saying it—but it’s really about saving one stroke. … even if you can take a double (bogey) to a bogey and a triple (bogey) to a double, that’s three strokes right there. 

“It’s more so golf management than anything,” coach Mitch Sobotta said.

Arcadia shot a 338 as a team in a tough field that included regional champion McDonell Catholic/Regis (295) and second-place Bloomer (300). Those two teams combined for the seven best individual scores last week.

Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau (366) also played at the regional and placed seventh behind the top three teams as well as Durand-Arkansaw (341), Elk Mound/Colfax (346) and Black River Falls (353). Stanley-Boyd’s 372 and Altoona at 385 rounded out the team scores.

Senior Cole Sobotta led all county players with an 8-over-par 79 for Arcadia, good enough to tie for 10th place. Andrew Bauer of McDonell Catholic/Regis was the lone player to finish even, earning the top spot with a 71.

Arcadia had two other players finish inside the top 20 thanks to Sid Halvorsen’s 82 (t-13th) and Joey Theis’ 85 (t-17th).

The Raiders were on the cusp of qualifying entering the back nine when all five golfers played strong through the 13th, 14th and 15th holes. Once Sobotta saw those scores on the live scoring app, he took a deep breath.

“We just kept grinding it out,” Sobotta said, “and that was the big difference there.”

Sophomore Nic Jumper and junior Mason Kromrey led the way for G-E-T—Jumper ended a strong sophomore season with an 87, and Kromrey finished 25th with a 90.

Other scores for the Red Hawks included a 92 from Maddox Scow, a 97 from Kylan Olson and a 104 from Domanick Knott.

Coach Michael Jon Mullikin of G-E-T could not be reached for comment.

Dustin Klonecki (92) and Kaiden Rotering (93) rounded out the scores for Arcadia, which has hopes for a state tournament appearance. 

To qualify, Arcadia will need to top both teams that finished ahead of them last week as well as multiple other strong programs in Wisconsin.

“The reason we step on that first tee is anything can happen in any given moment. We have a number in mind and haven’t shot our best score all year in my opinion. … but if we can get to our number and just trust the game, sectionals is a different animal. We could be a sleeper,” Sobotta said.

“I’ve still got my hopes up. Anything is possible.”