JAMESTOWN, N.D. — Kindred freshman Avery Bartels led the only four-time champion in the history of North Dakota girls golf by a single stroke entering play Wednesday at Jamestown Country Club.
Emily St. Aubin's incredible run of Class B dominance is over.
Bartels played with poise beyond her years, backing up a career-best 69 shot Tuesday with a 2-over-par 73, becoming the first Class B girls golf medalist other than St. Aubin since the South Border senior first won the state tournament as a seventh-grader in 2016.
The icing on the cake? Bartels was also the first Class B state champion crowned at Jamestown Country Club since her brother, Parker Bartels, won the boys' title here in 2019.
"I thought I really need to make some big moves, and then I just started draining putts and I was like, 'Ok, let's just keep this up," said Avery Bartels, who'd lead the field by as many as nine strokes before coasting to an eight-stroke victory over St. Aubin. "It's really cool to do it where my brother did it. It makes it 10 times more special, and Emily is a crazy good player. It shows how hard I've worked this season."
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For the first time in her career on the state's biggest stage, it simply wasn't the defending champ's day.
After entering day 2 at 1 under, St. Aubin shot 5 over on the front nine as Bartels took a commanding eight-stroke lead heading into the final nine holes. Along with her four North Dakota high school state titles, St. Aubin also won the Class B division at last June's North Dakota Spring Golf Championships at Bismarck's Riverwood Golf Course, which was held in lieu of a state tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It didn't feel like anything was going my way, and that's just how golf goes sometimes," said St. Aubin, who was named Class B's senior athlete of the year. "I just wasn't putting well. The ball wasn't coming off the same as it usually does.
"It was just bad timing, I guess."
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At an even-par 142 for the tournament, Bartels led Kindred to its eighth state championship and first since 2019, besting Heart River in second by a whopping 45 strokes.
Kindred sophomore Charli McQuillan rebounded from an 88 she shot Tuesday with a 78 on Wednesday, while junior teammate Kayla Hoyme tied for fourth individually at 19 over on her 17th birthday.
"We were all really excited to come here and get one last win with our seniors: Alaina (Pulczinski) and Kenna (Braaten)," Hoyme said. "We just wanted to finish strong and just get that win for them."
Kindred girls golf coach Michael Pulczinski said the Vikings' team unity has been a strength all season. Pulczinski was named Class B's coach of the year.
"We have such a deep team," Pulczinski said. "We don't know whose score we're going to be using because they're all so balanced."
The Vikings led Heart River by 18 strokes after Tuesday's opening round.
"Holding that lead is never easy," Pulczinski said. "Just watching the girls and how relaxed they were this morning on the (driving) range, all the laughing. I could tell it was going to be a good day."
After hitting 16 straight greens in regulation 24 hours earlier, Bartels started day 2 by finding 13 in a row and dropping home birdie putts on the par-4 second hole and the par-3 eighth.
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"After my putt on (hole) eight, and (St. Aubin) wasn't playing her best, I knew I just had to play it good on the back nine," Bartels said.
Kindred assistant coach and Bartel's father, Kory Bartels, knew Avery was gonna be tough to run down following her approach shot on hole nine. The freshman's strike, just under 100 yards into the pin, wasn't perfect.
"She said she swiped it and she was 15 feet (to the) right, so I knew she was zoned in," Kory Bartels said. "She didn't miss a green until the 13th hole again today and was putting well."
Bartels basically went into conservation mode over the back nine, playing to a 4-over 39, the same as St. Aubin.
Fargo Oak Grove's Sophie Branter placed third at 18 over, with Heart River's Campbell Clarys tying Hoyme at 161. Grafton's Ainsley McLain placed sixth at 20 over.
"There's a lot of good young girls out here," Kory Bartels said. "There's a lot of good individuals coming up and hopefully it pushes Avery to continue to work as hard as she has at it because she's earned every bit of it."
St. Aubin, a name that will be synonymous with North Dakota girls golf for decades, will continue her playing career at the University of Mary in Bismarck.
"Coming in as a seventh-grader, I never thought it would turn into what it did," St. Aubin said. "I think, overall, Class B girls golf has gotten so much better. If you look at the scores from then to now, it's just crazy how much better it's gotten and it'll be fun to watch for years to come.
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"Girls golf is on the rise right now. I'm sad that it's over, but I'm ready for the next step."
Team results
1. Kindred 324-316--640; 2. Heart River 342-343--685; 3. Napoleon/GS 349-347--696; 4 Carrington 363-358--721; 5. Linton/HMB 371-355--726; 6. Grafton 366-372--738; 7. South Border 363-387--750; 8. Oak Grove 381-380--761; 9. Des Lacs-Burlington 410-400--810; 10. Northern Lights 417-413--830; 11. Park River 424-430--854; 12. Langdon 435-423--858; 13. Hazen 438-444--882; 14T. Bottineau 450-433--883; Stanley 455-428--883; 16. Velva 460-428--888; 17. Western Morton 454-456--910; 18. Mohall-Sherwood 500-509--1,009.
Top 10 individuals
(Top 10 considered Class B All-State)
1. Avery Bartels, Kindred, 69-73--142; 2. Emily St. Aubin, South Border, 70-80--150; 3. Sophie Brantner, Oak Grove, 83-77--160; 4T. Kayla Hoyme, Kindred, 79-82--161; Campbell Clarys, Heart River, 77-84--161; 6. Ainsley McLain, Grafton, 76-86--162; 7. Avery LaFountain, Dunseith, 82-83--165; 8T. Charlie McQuillan, Kindred, 88-78--166; Asha Valliere, Tioga, 85-81--166; 10. Libby Dulmage, Benson Co., 83-84--167.
Class B girls golf Senior Athlete of the Year: Emily St. Aubin, South Border.
Class B girls golf Coach of the Year: Michael Pulczinski, Kindred.
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