Vince Sigl Clinches Second State Title as Winneconne Secures Team Championship

MADISON – The prowess of the Bay Conference was unmistakable at the 100th WIAA state golf championships held at University Ridge Golf Course on June 9. Vince Sigl from Seymour successfully defended his title in the Division 2 individual category, while Winneconne triumphed in the D2 team competition after a tense playoff against Edgewood. Another Bay Conference representative, Xavier, finished fifth in the same team division.

Sigl, who had previously won the championship in a playoff format, entered the second day of the tournament with a solid lead, posting a 1-under-par 71. He continued to excel, carding a 4-under-par 68 in the final round, bringing his total score to 139, which was four strokes ahead of runner-up Elliot Skinner from Altoona. "Short game is definitely a part of golf that I think you gain the most strokes on," Sigl noted, emphasizing his skill in this area. "And today and yesterday, I didn't miss much greens but when I did, I knew I had the chance to get up and down."

Seymour’s coach, Katie Grassel, praised Sigl’s mental preparation and noted his improved performance from the previous year when he finished with a total of 147. "He knew that coming in today he needed to putt better than what he did last year," Grassel said. Sigl's younger brother, Owen, tied for seventh place with a two-day total of 151, while senior Tristan Drath placed 29th with a score of 163.

In the team competition, Winneconne, after leading for much of the final regulation holes, found themselves tied with Edgewood, necessitating a playoff. The Wolves outperformed Edgewood in the playoff, shooting a combined 15 against Edgewood's 17 on the first hole. Senior Parker Groff’s critical birdie made all the difference. "It's my last year and I got to play one extra hole to finish it off there," Groff said, reflecting on the team's performance.

Winneconne’s Austin Dobbe shone as well, tying for fourth individually with a total score of 149. The Wolves’ victory marks their first state title, capping off a season where they had previously finished second to Edgewood. Coach Chris Peters expressed satisfaction with the hard-fought win against a team that had historically outperformed them. "To come out on top, the way we did, is extremely satisfying," he said.

In Division 1, Kimberly finished second with a score of 592, trailing Middleton by 14 strokes but outperforming defending champions Marquette. Andrew Ostermann led Kimberly with a fifth-place individual finish, shooting 140 over two days. "They wanna win the thing next year," said coach Greg Lueneburg, hinting at the team’s ambitions for the future.