Young Hi-Liner Golfers Close Season With Strong Day Two at State Tournament

CARRINGTON — The Valley City Hi-Liner boys golf season came to a close this week at the NDHSAA Class B State Golf Tournament at Crossroads Golf Course in Carrington, where four Hi-Liners represented the program and finished the year with their best golf when it mattered most.

Gray Kasowski, Kallen Hansen, Austin Anderson and Beck Dietrich all qualified individually for the state tournament after helping Valley City put together a strong postseason run. The Hi-Liners nearly advanced as a full team at the Super Regional, finishing fifth and missing team qualification by just one stroke.

That narrow miss made the individual state appearances even more meaningful.

Tuesday’s opening round brought warm, humid and windy conditions. Valley City stayed dry for nearly the entire day, with rain affecting only one hole of the round.

Kasowski led the Hi-Liners on day one with an 80, placing him in a tie for 55th. He carded two birdies on the front nine and played a steady round outside of one difficult hole, a double bogey on No. 10.

Hansen followed with an 84, while Dietrich and Anderson each opened with an 86.

“I feel all four boys are definitely looking forward to day two, with the hopes of improving their standing individually at their first state tournament,” Coach Murray said after the first round.

That response came quickly on Wednesday.

All four Valley City golfers improved their scores on day two. Kasowski and Hansen both played their best rounds of the season, each shooting a 4-over-par 76. Kasowski finished with a two-day total of 156, tying for 44th. Hansen finished at 160, tying for 62nd.

Anderson also made a strong move on day two, shooting an 82 to finish at 168 and tied for 96th. Dietrich closed with an 84, giving him a two-day total of 170 and a tie for 106th.

For a group making its first state tournament appearance, the second-day improvement was the biggest takeaway. The Hi-Liners did not simply qualify and participate. They adjusted, competed and finished better than they started.

The state tournament wrapped up a season where Valley City showed steady growth and increasing depth. At the Super Regional, Dietrich led the Hi-Liners with an 84, followed by Hansen and Anderson with 85s and Kasowski with an 86. Riley Roelfsema added a 90, while Brody Kalbrener shot a 95 as Valley City came within one stroke of qualifying the entire team for state.

That one stroke will be hard to forget, but it also shows how close the program is to taking another step.

Earlier in the season, Valley City also showed its potential at the Loboe Invitational, placing second behind Sargent County. Hansen led the Hi-Liners with an 80, Anderson shot an 87, Kasowski added an 88, and all six Valley City golfers finished inside the top 15.

By the end of the season, the Hi-Liners had built a résumé worth being proud of: a near team state qualification, four individual state qualifiers, and a strong finish at Carrington with every state golfer improving on day two.

“The best news to remember for Hi-Liner boys golf is our youth,” Coach Murray said. “We have a very young core group of golfers and the future certainly looks bright for Hi-Liner boys golf.”

The season ended at state, but Valley City boys golf leaves Carrington with momentum, experience and a core group that has already proven it can compete.

Hi-Liner State Tournament Results

Gray Kasowski
Day 1: 80
Day 2: 76
Total: 156
Finish: T44

Kallen Hansen
Day 1: 84
Day 2: 76
Total: 160
Finish: T62

Austin Anderson
Day 1: 86
Day 2: 82
Total: 168
Finish: T96

Beck Dietrich
Day 1: 86
Day 2: 84
Total: 170
Finish: T106

Hi-Liner Postseason Stat Pack

Super Regional Team Finish: 5th place
Missed Team State Qualification By: 1 stroke
State Qualifiers: Beck Dietrich, Kallen Hansen, Austin Anderson, Gray Kasowski

Super Regional Scores:
Beck Dietrich — 84
Kallen Hansen — 85
Austin Anderson — 85
Gray Kasowski — 86
Riley Roelfsema — 90
Brody Kalbrener — 95

Best Hi-Liner State Round: Gray Kasowski and Kallen Hansen — 76
Biggest Day-Two Improvement: Kallen Hansen, 84 to 76
State Tournament Site: Crossroads Golf Course, Carrington