Two Harbors boys golf repeats as East Range Conference champions

Two Harbors boys golf repeated as East Range Conference champions, a title that showed the Agates are building a lasting program, not just chasing one good spring. The repeat came May 21 at Lakeview National Golf Course, where Two Harbors held off a seven-team field that included Greenway-Nashwauk-Keewatin, Mesabi East, International Falls, NE Range-Ely, Northwoods and Stella Maris Academy.

Sophomore Vaughn Christiansen led the way as medalist, while freshman Gordon Goutermont placed fifth. Senior Josh Johnson and sophomore Axel Morsette rounded out the scoring for the Agates, giving Two Harbors enough depth to secure the conference victory on its home course, a municipal 18-hole layout at 1349 Highway 61 with views of Lake Superior from much of the property.

The conference win fit a season that had already pointed to durability. Two Harbors posted second-place finishes at Swan Lake, the Mesabi East Invite and the Iron Range Conference Championship, and earlier in May the Agates tied for second at the Iron Range Conference Invite at Giants Ridge. Goutermont won that event with a 79 and earned all-conference honors for the second straight year, a strong sign that younger players are already carrying varsity-level weight for the program.

That matters in a school sport built on continuity. Head coach Mike Fitzpatrick has guided the Agates for 35 seasons, and the program’s rise has tracked with better facilities, stronger technology and a wider base of young golfers coming through the system. A separate local report said Fitzpatrick had a full boys roster for the first time in years and watched the group improve as the spring went on after a cold, wet start.

The repeat title also came after a significant roster transition. Two Harbors entered the season trying to replace Cade Peterson, who had been a key contributor on the 2025 team and had made his second straight trip to the state tournament before moving on to college golf at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Even with that departure, the Agates returned several players from the championship roster and again won conference gold, which says something about the program’s structure as much as its talent.

The cooperative setup with Silver Bay, with Scott Larson on the Two Harbors side and Eric Berquist coaching the Silver Bay boys, adds another layer to the story. MSHSL lists Two Harbors boys golf as a cooperative with Silver Bay (William Kelley) High School, a model that helps smaller North Shore programs stay viable. In Lake County, where school sports often depend on shared resources and steady volunteer commitment, Two Harbors’ repeat conference championship looked less like a one-year spike and more like a program with real staying power.