Photo by Jake Olson: GHEC/T/ML golfer Jevin Garry scans his shot on hole No. 2 of Rose Lake Golf Club during Monday afternoons Tomahawk Valley Conference meet. Garry placed second behind Sleepy Eye United's Nolan Kucera.

FAIRMONT – The Sleepy Eye United boys golf team took home the Tomahawk Valley Conference title after another stellar performance during the third and final leg of the competition at Rose Lake Golf Club on Monday afternoon.

Sleepy Eye United won the previous two conference meets, scoring 345 and 333, respectively. Monday afternoon’s team stroke count of 319 was the lowest they’ve shot in any of the three legs.

Cedar Mountain got second place with their score of 350, followed by Alden-Conger’s 356. Granada Huntley East Chain/Truman/Martin Luther tied with G-F-W for fourth place, with each team shooting a 363.

Springfield (366), St. James/Madelia (387), New Ulm Cathedral (387), Martin County West (393), Wabasso (417) and Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart (425) rounded out the 11 teams competing.

Sleepy Eye United’s Nolan Kucera capped off his impressive conference performances with another first-place finish. Kucera used birdies on holes No. 9, No. 10 and No. 11 to fuel his round, finishing with a 74 that beat the remaining competition by four strokes.

Kucera’s score on Monday afternoon matches his outing in the second leg of the conference competition in New Ulm on Monday, May 4. He shot an 84 during leg one on Wednesday, April 22, tying with teammate Anders Coulson and GHEC/T/ML’s Gavin Kester.

GHEC/T/ML’s Jevin Garry was one of the golfers not too far behind Kucera’s dominance. Garry recorded two birdies on the afternoon, one of which was on his last shot on hole No. 5, to help reach his score of 78 and second-place finish.

Jaguars head coach Sam Kulseth said this was the best he’s seen his freshman perform in his young career, acknowledging that Garry has the potential to only improve over his remaining eligibility.

“Jevin Garry had an amazing day and shot the best round he’s ever had,” Kulseth said. “It was the best score he’s had with a 78 today. He came in today and just lit it up. It’s really cool to see the kid do that.”

“He’s also a freshman, so he has a big career ahead of him. I think he’s going to be really good, especially as he continues to mature.”

Ryan Hintz from Alden-Conger tied Garry to earn another conference meet top finish. Hintz, who placed second in the previous leg of the conference tournament, competed directly with Kucera in Monday’s pairing and was neck and neck with the Sleepy Eye United member until getting a double bogey and bogey on the final two holes.

Two of Kucera’s teammates, Blaine Arneson and Anders Coulson, rounded up the top five with their scores of 80 and 82. Isaac Christensen was the fourth and final Sleepy Eye United athlete to place in the top 10, with his score of 83 being good for a tie in sixth place.

Martin County West’s Knox Larson was the other golfer tied with Christensen. Larson was solid throughout the front nine and limited errors. He used a birdie on hole No. 17 to help finish through the final couple of holes.

“It’s fun to see the work that Knox puts into his game come to fruition,” Martin County West boys and girls golf head coach Jordan Neduzak said. “He’s driven to work each time he’s out on the course to get 1% better, which in turn drives our team score and other individuals on the team to want the same.”

Kulseth had another Jaguar place inside the top 10 in Kester. Kester’s score of 85 didn’t come without a lot of work, as he was battling through the early holes on the back nine. But his strong finish to the run pushed him to a ninth-place individual finish. Kester went par, par, and birdie on three of his final four holes.

“He wasn’t his best today, but finished well,” Kulseth said.

GHEC/T/ML and Martin County West will face off with one another on Tuesday afternoon at Fox Lake Golf Course, starting at 4:00 p.m. The meet will have both boys and girls teams competing.