Cedar Rapids Washington, Jane Petersen notch Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Division top honors in golf

Cedar Rapids Washington has been one of the top girls’ golf programs all season.

The Warriors added another accomplishment to the list.

Washington finished second and senior Jane Petersen was runner-up medalist at the Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Division meet Monday at Bunker Hill Golf Course in Dubuque. The performance was enough for the Warriors to win the Valley Division title and Petersen shared Athlete of the Year honors with Cedar Falls’ Molly Ratchford.

Dubuque Wahlert won the third and final round of divisional play, scoring 322 and beating Washington by 15 strokes. Washington maintained its overall lead for second straight divisional crown, finishing with 1,004 and three more than the Golden Eagles. Cedar Falls was third overall with 1,009.

Petersen fired 74 Monday, adding to her 77 at the MVC Super Meet and 72 in the first divisional for a 223 total. She eclipsed a four-stroke deficit to tie Ratchford and earn her first MVC division Athlete of the Year honor.

“It means a lot,” Petersen said. “It’s a very full-circle moment for me. I was able to finish first-team all-conference my freshman year and now fast forward to senior year I’m able to say I earned the AOY honor. It shows that hard work and consistency really does pay off. It makes it even better that I got to share the honor with my friend and future (college) teammate Molly Ratchford.”

Petersen, a University of Northern Iowa signee, is a three-time state qualifier, placing 12th or better each season including a state runner-up outing as a sophomore. She earned her fourth consecutive first-team all-conference award.

“Today was a grind,” Petersen said. “I had a tough start which meant lots of scrambling. What helped the most is focusing on singular shots and staying present.”

Washington’s Lily Belle Barker and Shay Munson carded 84 apiece and Addy Brown added 95. Barker joined Petersen on the Valley’s first team, while Munson was a second-teamer and Brown gained honorable mention honors.

The team and individual accomplishments are equally important to Petersen.

“I think both are equally cool,” Petersen said. “They go hand-in-hand. For the team title, everyone has to play well, including me. My ability to play well plays a direct role in both honors and I’m very grateful to say I’ve earned both alongside a wonderful team. Shout out to Coach (Dennis) Goettel, Coach of the year 2025.”

Cedar Rapids Prairie’s Kylie Wachtl shot 76 Monday. She was third overall with 224.

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IOWA CITY WEST’S WILSON, XAVIER WIN MVC MISSISSIPPI

Iowa City West freshman Ainsley Wilson fired a 3-over 71 to earn medalist honors and MVC Mississippi Athlete of the Year Monday at Thunder Hills Country Club in Peosta. Wilson closed the divisional competition with a 216, topping Linn-Mar’s two-time divisional Athlete of the Year Morgan Rupp by six.

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Xavier led throughout all three rounds. The Saints posted 331 to win the last divisional. They finished with a 975 total, beating host Western Dubuque by 19 shots.

Mehar Julka was runner-up medalist Monday, shooting 75. Freshman Hayley Morris had 76 for the Saints. Evelyn Bern and Carmen Hartgrave added 87 and 93 for Xavier.

Wilson, Rupp, Morris, Julka and Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s Ellie Nurre claimed first-team all-conference honors. Xavier’s Bern, Kennedy’s Autumn Reep, West’s Lily Schmid and Iowa City Liberty duo Lila Bowman and Layla Langseth were second-team players.

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY CONFERENCE

MISSISSIPPI DIVISION MEET

At Peosta

(Thunder Hills Country Club, par 71)

Teams – 1. C.R. Xavier 331, 2. Western Dubuque 338, 3. Iowa City West 347, 4. Linn-Mar 362, 5. Dubuque Senior 365, 6. C.R. Kennedy 367, 7. Iowa City Liberty 393

Individuals – 1. Ainsley Wilson (ICW), 74, 2. Mehar Julka (CRX), 75, 3. Hayley Morris (CRX), 76, 4. Ellie Nurre (CRK), 78, 5. Amber Wilson (WD), 79

XAVIER (331): Julka 75, Morris 76, Evelyn Bern 87, Carmen Hartgrave 93

I.C. WEST (347): Wilson 74, Lily Schmid 86, Sophie Bodin 92, Gretchen Van Iddekinge 95

LINN-MAR (362): Morgan Rupp 81, Clara Haker 93, Hannah Thierer 94, Maddi Fouquet 94

KENNEDY (367): Nurre 78, Autumn Reep 90, Harper Homewood 98, Brroklyn Gilchrist 101

I.C. LIBERTY (393): Layla Langseth 89, Lila Bowman 95, Hayzel Wernimont 102, Yuzuka Fujikawa 107

MVC MISSISSIPPI STANDINGS

(Final results)

Teams – 1. C.R. Xavier 975, 2. Western Dubuque 994, 3. I.C. West 1,041, 4. Linn-Mar 1,063, 5. Dubuque Senior 1,079, 6. C.R. Kennedy 1,095, 7. I.C. Liberty 1,132

Individuals – 1. Wilson (ICW), 216, 2. Rupp (LM), 222, 3. Morris (CRX), 223, 4. Julka (CRX), 225, 5. Wilson (WD), 231

Athlete of the Year: Wilson (ICW)

Coach of the Year: Julie Kadlec

ALL-MVC MISSISSIPPI

First team

Wilson (ICW), Rupp (LM), Morris (CRX), Julka (CRX), Wilson (WD), Nurre (CRK), Natalie Fangmann (WD), CeCe Ball (WD)

Second team

Bern (CRX), Avery Finnin (DS), Reep (CRK), Schmid (ICW), Dempsey White (DS), Landry Rauen (WD), Bowman (ICL), Langseth (ICL), Addy Saffran (DS)

Honorable mention

(Area athletes only)

Haker (LM), Van Iddekinge (ICW), Bodin (ICW), Thierer (LM), Hartgrave (CRX), Rylie Stackis (WD)

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY CONFERENCE

VALLEY DIVISION MEET

At Dubuque

(Bunker Hill Golf Course, par 69)

Teams – 1. Dubuque Wahlert 322, 2. C.R. Washington 337, 3. Cedar Falls 348, 4. Waterloo West 376, 5. C.R. Prairie 359, 6. Iowa City High 418, 7. Dubuque Hempstead 429, 8. C.R. Jefferson 461

Individuals – 1. Elin Mueller (DW), 73, 2. Jane Petersen (CRW), 74, 3. Kylie Wachtl (CRP), 76, 5. (tie) Molly Ratchford (CF), Bree Stegall (WW) and Sophia Their 78

WASHINGTON (337): Petersen 74, Lily Belle Barker 84, Shay Munson 84, Addy Brown 95

PRAIRIE (359): Wachtl 76, Kendall Palmersheim 92, Kate Walker 95, Macey Burns 96

CITY HIGH (418): Emory Anzelc 97, Hadassah Wolcott 104, Kacy Khongmaly 108, Louisa Berry-Stoezle 109

JEFFERSON (461): Ava Erger 85, Peyton Kinrade 106, Rachel Johnson 107, Jenna Dodson 163

MVC VALLEY STANDINGS

(Final results)

Teams – 1. C.R. Washington 1,004, 2. Dubuque Wahlert 1,007, 3. Cedar Falls 1,009, 4. Waterloo West 1,106, 5. C.R. Prairie 1,121, 6. City High 1,291, 7. Dubuque Hempstead 1,299, 8. C.R. Jefferson 1,399

Individuals – 1. (tie) Petersen (CRW) and Ratchford (CF), 223, 3. Wachtl (CRP), 224, 4. Stegall (WW), 231, 5. Mueller (DW), 239

Co-Athletes of the Year: Petersen (CRW) and Ratchford (CF)

Coach of the Year: Dennis Goettel (CRW)

ALL-MVC VALLEY

First team

Petersen (CRW), Ratchford (CF), Wachtl (CRP), Stegall (WW), Mueller (DW), Bell Barker (CRW), Their (DW), Elliot Victoria (CF)

Second team

Munson (CRW), Erger (CRJ), Payton Portzen (DW), Cate Ihrig (DW), Ellie Heiar (DW), Jacy Nielsen (CF), Jasey Youngkent (CF)

Honorable mention

(Area athletes only)

Brown (CRW), Palmersheim (CRP)

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com