Illinois debuts largest high school state disc golf championship
Illinois crowned its first high school state disc golf champions as 72 players from ten schools turned The Oaks into the biggest scholastic state field yet.
Illinois finally put a true high school state championship on the disc golf map, and it did so with real scale. The first state title event drew 72 players from ten schools to The Oaks in Mokena, making it the largest high school state championship the PDGA had recorded to that point.
Held on May 30 at The Oaks, the 2026 Illinois High School Disc Golf Championship Sponsored by Innova Disc Golf was sanctioned as a Scholastic XC-Tier tournament with Nathan Brooks listed as tournament director. Illinois joined Alaska, California, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Vermont and Washington on the short list of states that had hosted a high school state championship, a sign that scholastic disc golf is moving from a niche add-on into a legitimate pipeline.
The Boys Varsity race went to Dixon High School’s Discin’ Dukes, with 970-rated Jimi Gosinski taking the individual title and pushing Dixon past Cary Grove by one stroke. Jayvian Herwig, Doolan Long and Cade Kirchhoff helped round out a Dixon lineup that held off a deeper chase pack, with Antioch and El Paso-Gridley tied for third and Minooka also in the hunt. Cary Grove’s Dexter Starr added another headline to the boys side by winning the long-distance contest with a throw of 516 feet.
The girls side gave the championship its most eye-catching moment. Addison Woodard of Genoa won the Girls Varsity title after an ace on hole 7 in the opening round and a 960-rated final round that let her cruise to the trophy. Minooka beat Leland for the team championship, with Jillian Bean and Malia Rogers carrying the scoring load for the winners.
The hardware and pathway matched the performance. Gosinski and Woodard each received a custom trophy, a free PDGA membership, an Innova Junior Scholarship and a bid to the 2026 PDGA Junior Disc Golf World Championships, set for July 7-11 in Pittsburgh. Every player also got a 25% PDGA membership discount and two custom-stamped Innova discs, a package that underscored how seriously the sport is now treating scholastic competition.
That larger development story matters as much as the leaderboard. PDGA Youth & Education says its mission is to create competitive junior opportunities, and its Scholastic Club Grant can cover equipment, uniforms, baskets, travel, events, junior memberships and administrative support for school-recognized clubs that meet regularly for skills-based work. Justin Menickelli said the TD team "did everything the PDGA had been dreaming of," and Illinois’ debut showed what happens when schools, sponsors and a real championship format all arrive at once.
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