2026 BOYS GOLF PREVIEW
 

CLASS 6A
 
2025 State champion: Shawnee Mission East
 
2025 State Runner-up: Blue Valley North
 
2025 Individual State Champion: Brady Rapp, Blue Valley North
 
2025 Review: If you like golf drama, Shawnee Mission East seems to be able to provide it. Two years after winning the Class 6A title on a fifth-man tiebreaker, the Lancers fended off Blue Valley North by a mere two shots over two days at Winfield’s Quail Ridge to win their 20^th title in program history. Stuart Boulware’s short birdie putt on the final hole put a bow on the Lancers’ 36-hole team total of 582 – 6-over par – as SM East placed four golfers in the top 20. Boulware led the way with a third-place finish, followed by Elliott Cowden (11^th), Hudson Bennish (15^th) and Porter Howard (19^th). The Lancers entered the final round one shot behind BV North, but carded a four-man score of 290 to win. BV North produced the 6A individual champion in Brady Rapp, who prevailed by one shot over Blue Valley’s Connor MacGee after firing a pair of 68s for an 8-under 136 total. Manhattan, which got fifth-place individual finishes from Charlie Haney and Tate Reid, took third in the team race, seven shots behind SM East. The Indians and Blue Valley matched four-man scores both days, with Manhattan claiming the final trophy spot in the fifth-man tiebreaker. Olathe West got top-10 finishes from Bennett Warren and Parker Boggins to take fifth in its state title defense, while Olathe Northwest’s Nick VanWyngarden was part of a trio of top-20 medalists that helped the Ravens finish sixth. All six teams that made the Day 2 cut were within 14 shots of each other.
 
2026 Contenders: With its core trio of seniors Hudson Bennish and Elliott Cowden, and junior Stuart Boulware back in the fold, it’s a definite possibility that Shawnee Mission East could repeat the celebratory scene that unfolded on Quail Ridge’s 18^th green at the end of last year’s Class 6A state tournament. The three Lancers finished in the top 20 at state along with another current senior, Porter Howard. Bennish earned All-6A first-team honors, while Boulware, East’s top state finisher, was second team. Cowden earned honorable mention after landing on the first team as a sophomore. That depth will be tested by Blue Valley North, which returns the 6A individual champion in senior Brady Rapp, a University of Kansas signee, and another All-6A first-team selection in Drew Krystyn. The duo led the Mustangs to a state runner-up finish along with a victory at the 31-team Rusty Hilst Invitational in Hutchinson a year ago. After finishing sixth, fifth and third the last three years at state, Manhattan will be looking to continue its climb. The Indians graduated a top-5 state finisher in Tate Reid, but return second-team all-state sophomore Charlie Haney, who shared fifth with Reid, and senior Cade Cochran, who earned honorable mention. Led by returning junior Connor MacGee, Blue Valley finished fourth in 6A last season after coming up on the short end of a fifth-man tiebreaker with Manhattan. But the Tigers saw MacGee challenge Rapp for state individual medalist honors with 7-under 137 total. Sophomore Maddox Sundet is also back after placing eighth in his state debut. Olathe Northwest has been one of 6A’s most consistent teams, finishing in the top six all five years since KSHSAA went to a two-day state tournament. The Ravens will try to extend that with the return of junior Jack Butterbaugh, an all-state first-team performer who joined now-graduated Nick Van Wyngarden and Blake Winter as top-20 state finishers. Olathe South came up three strokes shy of a state berth last season, but the Falcons bring back an accomplished duo in junior Tate Edwards, the Sunflower League individual champion and a regional runner-up, and senior Grayson Kelso, who capped a strong 2025 season with a 15^th-place state finish. Senior Henry Thompson won an individual regional title last season to help Free State qualify for state. He returns after placing 13^th in 6A. Another individual coming off a strong finish to 2025 is Blue Valley Northwest junior Joe Honn, who finished 11^th at state. Wichita East returns three-time state qualifier Talen Nasone, a past regional champion.

 

 
CLASS 5A
 
2025 State champion: St. James Academy
 
2025 State Runner-up: Eisenhower
 
2025 Individual State Champion: Colt Farrow, Andover Central
 
2025 Review: After finishing second in Class 5A to perennial power Kapaun Mt. Carmel in 2024, St. James Academy took full advantage of the Crusaders’ absence from the team competition to win its second state title in program history by 29 shots over Eisenhower at Emporia Municipal. The Thunder, led by brothers Josh and Jacob Fratzel, tore through the par-71 layout with a 16-under-par 552 total over two days and placed five golfers in the top 20. Andover Central’s Colt Farrow carded a 7-under 64 in the final round to win the individual title at 11-under 131, and St. James added to the assault on par. Josh Fratzel finished second at 8-under 134, Jacob Fratzel was third at 135 and Jake Kolich shot 138 to take fifth, one shot behind Eisenhower’s top finisher, Luke Springer. The Thunder also got an 11th-place finish from Drew Hines, Darren Powell tied for 15^th and Joey Governal tied for 21^st, missing an individual medal by one shot. The Thunder’s six golfers shot a cumulative score of 4-under par for 36 holes. Eisenhower’s Braden Taylor joined Springer as individual medalists for the Tigers, finishing 12^th. Maize South had four top-20 finishers, led by Conrad Parkhurst’s share of sixth place, and took third as a team at 583, two shots behind Eisenhower. Regional champion Andover was fourth at 593, claiming medalists Grant Hatzenbuehler (tie 6^th) and Seth Benjamin (10^th). Spring Hill, tied for fifth with Bishop Carroll after the opening day, separated from the Golden Eagles on the final day to finish at 597, while Carroll was sixth at 601.
 
2026 Contenders: The Class 5A state tournament has become a scorer’s delight the last few seasons, starting with Bishop Carroll’s 5-under 555 winning score in the 2023 tournament at par-70 Turkey Creek in McPherson. St. James Academy eclipsed that last year with a 16-under 552 championship performance at par-71 Emporia Municipal, and the Thunder have a couple key holdovers from that squad. Junior Josh Fratzel capped an All-5A first-team season with a runner-up individual finish at state, while Darren Powell, now a senior, was second team after tying for 15^th. St. James will have to fill the voids left by Josh’s older brother, Jacob, and Jake Kolich, who were both top-5 state finishers and are now playing at Washburn. Eisenhower has become a fixture near the top of 5A, finishing second twice and third twice the last four seasons. The Tigers return All-5A second-team pick Luke Springer, a lefty and two-time state placer who finished fourth in Ike’s runner-up finish a year ago. Fellow seniors Jackson Loomis, Tyler Charles and Nic Tonnessen round out an experienced group. Maize South earned its first top-3 finish at state since 2021 and returns a pair of top-12 medalists in sophomore Conrad Parkhurst and senior Joe Binger. Laken Matthews, the 5A individual runner-up two years ago at Sand Creek, has graduated. Like the Mavericks, Andover won a regional title last season before finishing fourth at state. Top regional and state finisher Grant Hatzenbuehler has moved on, but senior Seth Benjamin returns after placing in the top 10. Spring Hill finished fifth at state after winning its second straight Frontier League title. The Broncos return a pair of top-30 individual finishers in Ty McFarland and Tyler Stecklein. Washburn signee Max Farber will try to help Bishop Carroll move up from sixth at state a year ago. Farber earned his third individual state medal, placing sixth after tying for third as a freshman and 13^th as a sophomore. Farber earned all-state first-team honors. TJ Spurlock missed an individual state medal by one shot last season, but helped De Soto qualify as a team. He’s part of a senior-laden Wildcat squad this spring. Blue Valley Southwest features a large group of underclassmen after reaching state last season. Junior Beau Sheldon, an All-Eastern Kansas League honoree, medaled at state as a freshman. Sophomore Cohen Museousky won a pair of tournaments last season before tying for 12^th at state for Goddard. Museousky was an all-state second-team choice. New coach Jay Colliatie will try to engineer a return to state for Kapaun Mt. Carmel, which failed to qualify as a team after winning three of the previous four 5A championships. The Crusaders return one of their two individual qualifiers in senior Carson Bachrodt, who tied for 24^th. Kapaun took second to Eisenhower in its season opener at the Andover Invitational. Individually, reigning 5A champion Colt Farrow of Andover Central is back for his senior season. Farrow, a Colorado signee, closed with a blistering 64 for an 11-under 131 total that gave him a three-shot victory. Farrow's teammate, junior Xayden Garcia, also finished in the top 15 at state.

 

CLASS 4A
 
2025 State champion: Wamego
 
2025 State Runner-up: Hayden
 
2025 Individual State Champion: Ethan Small, Independence
 
2025 Review: Perhaps a pattern is forming for the Wamego golf team. After winning their first state title by two shots in 2023 at Winfield’s Quail Ridge followed by a 40-shot runaway in 2024 at McPherson’s Turkey Creek, the Red Raiders had to dig deep for another close victory last May, rallying past Hayden for a three-shot victory at Newton’s Sand Creek. Trailing by one late in the team competition, Wamego got an eagle from Reagan Kueker on Sand Creek’s 16^th – a par 5 with a green that replicates St. Andrews’ famous Road Hole 17th – to spark the Red Raiders to the three-peat. Kueker posted a 36-hole total of 143 to finish second individually, one shot behind Independence’s Ethan Small, who carded rounds of 69 and 73. Breckin Miller (154) tied for fifth and Kaden Tyner (157) took 10^th for Wamego, which posted a winning team score of 621. Hayden, which shot 624, place four golfers in the top 20: James Kuta (4^th), Tagen Rodriguez (9th), Colin Scott (tie 11^th) and Nick Gorman (tie 19^th). Circle’s Anderson Helmer posted the third top-5 individual finish of his career at state and led the Thunderbirds to third place with a 655 total. Bishop Miege, led by lone individual medalist Sam Lien (tie 11^th), claimed fourth for the second straight year in a tight, three-way battle with Andale, which was one shot back in fifth, and Buhler, which took sixth after making the 18-hole cut by one shot over Independence.
 
2026 Contenders: Wamego has experienced turnover during its current run of three consecutive 4A titles, but has continued to find the right formula. As the Red Raiders gear up to try to make another title defense, they’ll do it with four returnees from last year’s state squad, including All-4A first-team performer Regan Kueker. Kueker, a Tennessee-Martin signee, was steady last season, winning North Central Kansas League and regional titles. At state, he finished one spot behind Independence’s Ethan Small with a 143 total, and both will be leading contenders for this year’s 4A individual title. Wamego also returns junior Breckin Miller, an all-state second-team selection who tied for fifth to help the Red Raiders hold off Hayden, which must replace a pair of All-4A first-team picks in Tagen Rodriguez and James Kuta. Circle has finished third at state each of the last two years, in part to senior Anderson Helmer, who helped kick off the Thunderbirds’ recent run of success by winning the individual state title in 2023 as a freshman at Quail Ridge. Senior Wyatt Sharp also returns after tying for 11^th last May. Bishop Miege will be looking to land a trophy placing after finishing fourth the last two years. Juniors Sam Lien and Griffin Bloemker are past state medal winners for the Stags, with Lien tying for 11^th last season. Bloemker earned all-state honorable mention. Andale returns four golfers from its fifth-place state team, including senior Jackson Bell, who led the Indians to a second-place regional finish. Sophomore Brooks Dyer shot a 76 in the season-opening Andover Invitational. Buhler made it to the second day of state by one shot last year and finished sixth. Junior Zach Chance is a returning medal winner after tying for 19^th. Drew DeMeyer, an All-4A second-team selection, graduated.  Senior Ethan Brungardt returns as a state medalist for Wellington, which qualified as a team last year but missed the 18-hole cut. Fort Scott returns an all-state second-team pick in Reece Roberts, a senior who tied for 19^th at state. With a large contingent of seniors among last year’s state medalists, Rock Creek’s Hudson Edelman could be a returnee to watch. The junior finished 15^th a year ago.
 
 

 
CLASS 3A
 
2025 State champion: Wichita Collegiate
 
2025 State Runner-up: Wichita Trinity
 
2025 Individual State Champion: Grant Waterson, Hesston
 
2025 Review: A regular atop Class 3A boys golf in the 1990s, 2000s and early-2010s, Wichita Collegiate ended a 10-year team title drought with a five-shot victory over Wichita Trinity at Garden City’s Buffalo Dunes. Landon Langston, the Day 1 individual leader, tied for fourth to lead the victorious Spartans, who held a perilous one-stroke advantage over Trinity heading into the team competition’s final day. Jacobi Salyers finished 10^th for Collegiate, which shot a two-round team total of 644. The Spartans won their first state title since 2015 without 2024 individual champion Lunden Esterline, who bypassed his sophomore season to focus on outside tournaments. Trinity was buoyed by Cole Palmer’s sixth-place finish, while Alex Majors tied for 17^th for the Knights. Sabetha, led by top-10 finisher Roman Scoby, reached the tournament’s midpoint in third place and remained there with a 656. Other teams that survived the 18-hole cut included Marysville, which used Eli Sedlacek’s top-15 finish to take fourth. Matt Newhouse, Wellsville’s lone medalist who tied for 19^th, led the Eagles to fifth place, and Goodland took sixth despite not having a top-20 finisher. While 2024 3A champion Hesston did not advance to state as a team, it did produce the individual champion in senior Grant Waterson, who shot 3-over 147 to fend off Humboldt newcomer Connor Newman and Council Grove’s Drew Buchman, a four-time state placer, by two strokes.
 
2026 Contenders: Wichita Collegiate’s state championship last year wasn’t a foregone conclusion, not with the Spartans finishing second to Wichita Trinity at regionals and not without the services of Lunden Esterline, the 2024 state medalist whose junior golf explorations last year landed him the prestigious Junior PGA Championship title and a spot on the victorious U.S. Junior Ryder Cup team. But with underclassmen Landon Langston and Jacobi Salyers posting top-10 finishes, Collegiate got it done, topping Trinity by five shots over two days at Buffalo Dunes. Langston and Salyers, who went 1-2 at last year’s Ark Valley-Chisholm Trail IV tournament, are among five returnees from the state title team. Senior Charlie Gentile, the reigning 3-1A singles tennis champion, is another. He tied for 29^th at state golf. Trinity also has a strong returning 1-2 punch in junior Cole Palmer and senior Alex Majors, who earned All-3A honorable mention after posting top-20 finishes at state. While last year’s third-place finisher Sabetha graduated two of its top state finishers in Roman Scoby and Cole Moore, junior Gavin Wedel posted a top-25 finish and is one of four returning Bluejays. Marysville posted the lowest four-man score of 3A’s six regional champions last year. The Bulldogs return senior Eli Sedlacek, who tied for 15^th at state. Wellsville graduated its lone state medal winner in Matt Newhouse, but returns four players from its fifth-place state team. Senior Trent Sheldon is the top returning state finisher for Goodland, which finished sixth after making the 18-hole cut by four shots. Sheldon took 39^th at Buffalo Dunes. Individually, the top of the 3A leaderboard will have some new faces after senior medalist Grant Waterson of Hesston graduated and Humboldt’s Connor Newman, who finished second as a freshman, moves down to 2A this spring. Langston and Palmer are the top returning finishers along with Iola’s Brennen Coffield, a three-time state placer who finished in a career-best sixth-place tie in 3A last spring. A 3A newcomer will be Holton, which featured an all-state honorable mention freshman last year in Easton Moulin. The Wildcats move down from 4A. Other top returnees in 3A include Hesston junior Carter Frey, who earned all-state second team, Baxter Springs’ Cole Parrish, who won the CNC League individual title as a freshman, and Russell’s Jake Mooney and Jefferson West’s Gage Moser, who posted top-20 finishes at state.
 
 

CLASS 2A
 
2025 State champion: Sacred Heart
 
2025 State Runner-up: Syracuse
 
2025 Individual State Champion: Noah Dowell, Hoxie
 
2025 Review: Sacred Heart stretched its Class 2A state title streak to 10, albeit in different fashion than most of the rest. The Knights, often a dominant champion since launching their title run in 2015, trailed Syracuse by 10 shots after the first round of the 36-hole tournament at McPherson’s Turkey Creek. But with five golfers maneuvering into the top 20, Sacred Heart shot a four-man score of 300 in the final round – 27 shots better than Syracuse – to rally for a 17-stroke victory. Dominic Matteucci (149) finished third and Luke Newell (152) was fourth for the Knights, who ended the tournament with a 611 team total. Ethan Newell also posted a top-10 finish, tying for ninth at 156. Will Tuttle (162) tied for 15^th and Ben Marrs (163) shared 18^th as the final leaderboard had a familiar look to it. Charlie Keller and Brody Keller led Syracuse to a 628 total by taking fifth and tying for ninth, respectively. The Bulldogs were unable to hold on as all six of their golfers posted higher scores on Day 2. Hoxie, led by individual champion Noah Dewell, finished third at 643. Dewell shot rounds of 68 and 72 for an even-par 140, two shots clear of runner-up Easton Fink of Oakley. Cair Paravel, led by sixth-place individual finisher Caleb Cleverdon, took fourth, three shots in front of St. Mary’s Colgan, which also got a sixth-place effort from Jamie Hamilton. Hill City was sixth at 676.
 
2026 Contenders: The challenge of unseating Sacred Heart from its decade-long run atop Class 2A doesn’t figure to get a lot easier this season. The Knights return five of the six golfers from last year’s championship team, albeit the graduation loss is significant, as Luke Newell, an All-2A first-team golfer, collected the fourth top-5 state finish of his career after winning NCAA League and regional individual titles. But the talented junior duo of Dominic Matteucci and Ethan Newell posted top-10 state finishes as Sacred Heart rallied to win the 2025 title. Rising seniors Will Tuttle and Ben Marrs are also back after finishing in the top 20. That depth sets the bar high for teams like Syracuse, which finished second at state last spring after leading the tournament after Day 1. The Bulldogs return three of their four individual medal winners – junior Charlie Keller, sophomore Brock Keller and junior Jarrett Scott. Third-place finisher Hoxie took some key graduation losses in individual champion Noah Dewell and medalist Sam Watkins. Senior Brodie Tremblay is the top returning state finisher for the Indians. Cair Paravel took fourth at state a year ago and returns senior Caleb Cleverdon, who tied for sixth individually. One of the players that tied Cleverdon was Jamie Hamilton, who is the top returnee for St. Mary’s Colgan. The Panthers finished fifth in 2A last season. After missing the 18-hole cut at state, Hutchinson Trinity returns a solid core for making another run. Junior Tyler Casebolt finished 14^th individually, and junior Miles Blaylock and sophomore Ian Shaw have shown potential, helping the Celtics finish as regional runners-up to Sacred Heart. Oakley senior Easton Fink is the top returning finisher in 2A, taking second. Humboldt sophomore Connor Newman took second at the 3A meet last year, and the Cubs move down in classification this season. Three-time state placer Jack Donovan of Rossville also returns after tying for sixth in 2A a year ago.

 

CLASS 1A
 
2025 State champion: Hutchinson Central Christian
 
2025 State Runner-up: South Gray
 
2025 Individual State Champion: Gavin Wahl, South Gray
 
2025 Review: Three years after winning a weather-shortened Class 1A team title as freshmen, Hutchinson Central Christian’s Ryland Kooiman and Nathan Reed teamed up with their younger brothers, Cael Kooiman and Tyler Reed, to return to the top of 1A golf. In the process, the Cougars snapped defending champion South Gray’s 29-tournament winning streak, defeating the runner-up Rebels by 17 shots at Dodge City’s Mariah Hills. South Gray’s Gavin Wahl won his second straight 1A individual title, shooting a two-day total of 6-under 136 for a nine-shot victory over Elkhart’s Bodie Higgins. But the Kooimans and Reeds helped Central Christian post the best four-man score on both days of the tournament, starting with a 318 that put the Cougars two shots ahead of eventual third-place finisher Elkhart and five in front of South Gray. Led by Cael’s 73 in the final round, Central Christian shot 315 for a 633 team score. Nathan Reed was part of a three-way tie for eighth at 159, while Tyler Reed 176 landed in the top 25. The Cougars were second to South Gray, 57 shots back, in the 2024 state tournament at Hesston Golf Course. South Gray’s two-day total of 650 last May was followed by Elkhart’s 663. Ryland Kooiman was the Cougars’ top finisher, tying for third with South Gray’s Cameron Wahl at 148. Cael vaulted into seventh with his Day 2 performance. Washington County (691), South Central (743) and Onaga (747) also made the 18-hole cut, finishing fourth through sixth.
 
2026 Contenders: After wresting the Class 1A championship away from South Gray last season, Hutchinson Central Christian will be in a bit of a reset mode. The Cougars graduated four seniors from last year’s team. Gone are Ryland Kooiman and Nathan Reed, who bookended their careers with state team titles. But still going are their younger brothers, Cael Kooiman and Tyler Reed. Cael, a junior, shot a two-round total of 150 at Dodge City’s Mariah Hills to finish seventh at state last year after taking second at Hesston as a freshman. While Tyler didn’t medal in his state debut, he finished 24^th and provided the fourth score the Cougars needed to pull away from South Gray, which got its second straight individual title from Gavin Wahl. Wahl, now a senior, proceeds without his older brother Cameron, a two-time, third-place state finisher. But the Rebels return junior Daxton Hendrickson, a second-team all-state player a year ago. Elkhart experienced some key losses after its second straight third-place finish, including Bodie Higgins, a top-5 finisher the last two seasons. Two other state medalists graduated, leaving sophomore Carlos DeHerrera (34^th) as the top returning state finisher. Hill City makes the move from 2A to 1A this season. Junior AJ Deges earned All-2A second-team honors after Ringnecks finished sixth at the state meet. Onaga has advanced to state each of the last two seasons, with senior Graham Valburg leading the way. An All-1A second-team pick last year, Valburg tied for 14^th at state as the Buffaloes finished sixth as a team. Kiowa County features one of the top returnees in senior Sawyer Campbell, who tied for fifth at state and earned All-1A first-team honors. Bishop Seabury has a three-time state placer in Jace Hoffman, who finished 11^th last season on the heels of back-to-back seventh-place efforts. Centre junior Easton Glessner is also back after tying for eighth. He earned all-state honorable mention along with Goessel senior Levi Schrag and Greeley County junior Braxon Mangan.

 

SAND GREENS
 
2025 State champion: Lakeside
 
2025 State Runner-up: Rock Hills
 
2025 Individual State Champion: Jace Cunningham, Lakeside
 
2025 Review: Another year, another Sand Greens state title for Lakeside, which used a 1-2 individual finish by Jace Cunningham and Eli Schmitt to post a 301 team score for its fifth consecutive championship. The Knights finished 25 shots ahead of runner-up Rock Hills at Cottonwood Falls Country Club. Cunningham ended his high school career as a three-time individual champion, carding a 1-under 65 to finish seven shots ahead of Schimitt. Gabe Smith also cracked the top 10 with an 80 and Jackson Hardy tied for 16^th with an 84 in the 18-hole tournament, played in soggy conditions in the Flint Hills. Ty Vance shot a 78 and took fifth individually to lead Rock Hills, which improved from a seventh-place team finish in 2024. Clifton-Clyde completed its first-year program with a third-place team finish, posting a 342 total. Oliver Nobert shot 75 to lead the Eagles. Logan was one shot behind Clifton-Clyde in fourth, while Riley County, led by sixth-place finisher JW Listner, shot 354 to round out the top five in the team competition.

2026 Contenders: The Sand Greens state tournament at Mankato Country Club will mark the end of an era this May, as KSHSAA will discontinue the championship due to declining participation. Rock Hills will serve as tournament host, and whether that’s enough to slow the juggernaut that Lakeside has become remains to be seen. The Knights will go for their sixth straight title, this time without Jace Cunningham, who capped his high school career with his third individual title last year at Cottonwood Falls. Lakeside still has the state’s top returnee in Eli Schmitt, a junior multi-sport standout who took second at state last season. Rock Hills, which finished second with a 326 team total last season, returns a pair of top-10 state medalists in junior Ty Vance and senior Ethan Wirth. Vance finished fifth, while Wirth tied for sixth after taking second to Cunningham in 2024. Beloit-St. John’s returns a strong duo in seniors Grant Goodaker and John Mick. Goodaker was fourth at state, while Mick was part of the four-way logjam in sixth. Riley County’s Harvey Lister tied Wirth for second two years ago and will try to rebound after falling to a tie for 25^th last spring.