Ridge View, Newell-Fonda advance in Buena Vista County golf postseason

Ridge View put itself one strong round from Waterloo, Newell-Fonda survived a tight Class 1A fight in Newell, and Sioux Central kept one postseason berth alive at Clarion as Buena Vista County golf teams moved deeper into May.

Ridge View owned the Class 2A sectional at Holstein, winning with a 301 team score and sending the Raptors to Monday’s district meet at Carroll. Kellen Clausen set the pace with a 69 to claim medalist honors, while Maddux McCoy added an 84 and Dayn Simonsen carded a 93 to help lock up the sectional title. Carroll Kuemper finished second with a 306 and Hinton took third at 314, the three teams that advanced under Iowa High School Athletic Association postseason rules.

For Ridge View, the margin mattered as much as the win. The Raptors now need another top-three finish Monday at Carroll to reach the 2026 Class 2A state tournament in Waterloo, where the field is set for May 26-27. The IHSAA says the top three teams from each sectional and district site move on, along with the top two individual players from non-qualifying teams and ties. Boys golf has been part of Iowa high school state competition since 1928, and Ridge View is still in the hunt to extend its season into that final stage.

Newell-Fonda took a different path, placing second in the Class 1A sectional at Newell with a 332 and earning a district spot Monday in Council Bluffs. Woodbury Central won the sectional with a 312, and West Monona was third at 339, but the Mustangs held their position by the slimmest of margins and kept their team season going. Carter Emerick led Newell-Fonda with an 81, Landen Kruse shot an 82, Jacksyn Hogrefe had an 83 and Ian Harrer followed with an 86. Kellen Meyer and Andrew Greenfield each added 89s, a spread that showed the kind of depth a district contender needs.

That depth has been the story for Newell-Fonda. The Mustangs had recently been playing well in Twin Lakes Conference action, including a win at Pocahontas, and their sectional score showed they could absorb more than one scorer without losing pace. The next step is clear: another strong Monday in Council Bluffs, where the same top-three advancement rule will decide whether the Mustangs get another round.

Sioux Central left Clarion without a team berth, but Luke Chindlund kept the season alive individually by shooting an 81 and advancing on his own. Forest City, Emmetsburg and Estherville Lincoln Central took the top three team spots, while Sioux Central finished sixth and still found postseason representation through Chindlund. In a county spring where every stroke is carrying state implications, Ridge View and Newell-Fonda remain the strongest local bets to reach Waterloo, while Sioux Central’s path now rests on one individual score.