Menominee Nation/Gresham earns first-ever sectional berth in boys golf

Menominee Nation/Gresham turned a tight regional battle into a historic breakthrough Tuesday at Lake Breeze Golf Course in Winneconne, finishing third with a 331 and earning the co-op’s first-ever berth in the WIAA boys golf sectional.

The finish mattered because of the format as much as the score. In WIAA postseason golf, the top four teams and the top four individuals not on qualifying teams move on, so every stroke counted in a field where one shot could have shifted the bracket. Menominee Nation/Gresham stayed ahead of New London’s 332, while Winneconne won the regional at 296 and Xavier took second at 300.

Allex Mahl led the way for the Eagles with a 78, giving the co-op a low round that helped secure the third-place finish. Winneconne was paced by medalist Austin Dobbe’s 70, and Xavier’s 300 showed how strong the top of the field was. Still, Menominee Nation/Gresham held its place among the advancing teams and extended its season in the most meaningful way yet for the program.

The sectional trip adds another milestone to a spring that has already changed the program’s profile. On May 5, Menominee Nation/Gresham won what coach Robert Burr described as likely its first-ever conference meet, and Burr said he had asked community members and former coaches whether the program had ever won before, with no one remembering a prior victory. The co-op also finished second at Fox Fire Golf Course in Waupaca on April 29 and third at the Amherst Invite at Whistling Straits on April 20.

At Whistling Straits, junior Gabe Boivin led the scoring with an 86, followed by senior Kenew Awonohopay with a 91, sophomore Allex Mahl with a 93 and senior Anikohsaeh Corn with a 96. Those results, along with the conference breakthrough, showed the team building toward the postseason run that arrived in Winneconne.

The next stop is the Division 2 sectional at Crystal Springs Golf Course in Seymour, with WIAA sectionals scheduled for June 2 or June 3 depending on division and site. New London’s qualifying effort in the regional was led by Cullen Corcoran’s 80 and Owen Williams’ 83, and individual qualifiers also included Ethan Hass of Amherst, Duane Gristeau-Blance of Shawano and Jeremiah Devroy of Clintonville.

For Menominee Nation/Gresham, the third-place finish was more than a scorecard note. It was a program first, a sign of steady growth and a chance to keep the season alive on one of the biggest stages the co-op has ever reached.