By Marisa Dawson

Three Badgers competed at the Class A state tournament after strong district performances, with Makaila Behrens earning her fourth career state qualification.

Bennington’s girls golf team closed its season with three individual state qualifiers, capping a year of growth and improvement as the program competed in Class A for the first time.

Makaila Behrens, Cloie Clark and Kaitlyn Kos advanced to the Class A state tournament after competing in the District A-2 tournament Oct. 5 at Miracle Hill Golf Course. The three represented Bennington at the state tournament Oct. 13 in Grand Island.

The district tournament marked a strong finish to the regular season, with the team recording its best score of the year and finishing fourth in a competitive field. Head coach Ben Deines credited the golfers’ attitudes, improved putting and work around the greens for the team’s progress.

“We just had a good attitude going into districts and Makaila really played well,” Deines said. “Katie also shot her best round at districts playing her way into the state tournament.”

Deines said putting had been a major focus throughout the season, particularly reducing three-putts and converting short putts.

“Limit the number of 3 putts and make those 4-6 footers really can lower your score in a hurry,” he said.

The team’s improvement was evident in its district performance, as four of the five golfers lowered their scores from the Miracle Hill tournament, the team’s first event of the season. Deines said the golfers improved at limiting high scores and developed a better touch around the greens.

“We work on that stuff everyday and finally it feels like that work has paid off,” he said.

Behrens’ qualification for state marked a milestone for the program. The senior became the first golfer in Bennington girls golf history to qualify for state four times and also earned her third district medal of her career. Deines credited Behrens’ dedication outside the high school season for her sustained success.

“She put a lot of time and effort in the offseason and in the summer to improve her game,” he said. “You can’t just play from August to October and expect to be good.”

Behrens competed in tournaments throughout the summer, gaining experience that helped her remain competitive throughout her high school career. Her accomplishments also leave a lasting mark on the program.

“She is on our record boards multiple times and it will give girls in the future something to strive for,” Deines said.

Behrens said qualifying for state for the fourth time was especially meaningful in the program’s first season competing in Class A.

“Reaching state for the fourth time is a huge accomplishment, and it means a lot to me,” she said. “It also shows my effort and dedication to the team. This accomplishment is the most revealing and important to me, especially since we’re in Class A this year.”

After four years as a key part of the program, Behrens said she was proud to see other golfers experience the state tournament alongside her.

“It meant a lot to have Cloie and Katie join me at state; I was very proud of them being able to make it differentially,” she said. “They helped make the trip more fun and provided a greater support system.”

Deines said the program will miss Behrens’ contributions but hopes her accomplishments will inspire future golfers.

“Makaila was a big part of our program for 4 years and we are going to miss her,” he said. “I hope to coach many more 4 year state qualifiers in the future and hopefully some more state medalists.”

Three Badgers compete at state

At the Class A state tournament in Grand Island, Behrens finished tied for 20th overall with a two-round total of 172. She shot an 80 in the first round and a 92 in the second, finishing 28 strokes over par. Clark, a sophomore, finished tied for 26th with a total of 176. She opened with an 89 before improving to an 87 in the second round, finishing 32 strokes over par. Kos finished 66th with a two-round total of 202. The junior shot 104 in the first round and improved to 98 in the second, finishing 58 strokes over par.

For Behrens, the state tournament was an opportunity to celebrate the end of her high school golf career while competing against the state’s top Class A golfers.

“My final goals heading into state were to just have fun and take in the moment since it was the last tournament of my high school career,” she said. “My mindset was to just enjoy the last moments and not put too much pressure on myself.”

Behrens set a goal of finishing in the top 30, a mark she achieved with her 20th finish.

“What I would consider a successful finish was placing at least in the top 30 in Class A, and I achieved that goal,” she said.

For Clark, qualifying for state as a sophomore provided valuable experience and motivation for the seasons ahead.

“It was a wonderful experience and I hope to make it next year,” Clark said.

Representing Bennington during its first year in Class A was particularly meaningful to her.

“It meant a lot to me to represent my team at state, especially as it is our first year in Class A,” she said.

Clark said the tournament also provided lessons she plans to carry into the remainder of her high school golf career.

“I will take a lot out of the experience I had at state. There were lessons I learned that I will take with me into the next two years of my golf career.”

Kos also reflected on the opportunity to compete at state, saying she had not been certain she would qualify.

“Representing my school at state was a huge privilege,” Kos said. “I wasn’t even sure I’d qualify, so getting the chance to make it and play the course was amazing.”

Although her results did not reflect her personal best, Kos said the experience and memories made the tournament worthwhile.

“Even though my results weren’t my personal best this year, competing and making unforgettable memories with my teammates made the whole experience completely worth it,” she added.

While sending three individual golfers to state was an accomplishment, Deines said the program’s larger goal remains qualifying a team for the state tournament.

“We want to send a team every year to the state tournament so it is a little disappointing and is something that I hope we accomplish next year but it was cool to be able to take 3 girls to the state tournament,” he said.

Bennington returns three golfers next season, giving the program a foundation to build on as it continues competing in Class A.

“They played consistent enough throughout the season to qualify,” Deines said. “We return 3 girls next year and they will need to continue to improve and get better if we want to reach our goals next year which is to qualify for state.”

With three golfers gaining state tournament experience, continued improvement on the course and a record-setting career providing an example for future athletes, Bennington will look to build on the progress made this season.