By Travis Rosenau, Journal Sports Editor

SLEEPY EYE – Dedicated, humble and always improving was Sleepy Eye United’s Carson Erickson throughout his high school golf career.

After making it to the Class A state tournament for the third year in a row at Pebble Creek Golf Club in Becker last week, Erickson improved again from the prior season as he cracked the top 10 and finished tied for 10th place with a two-day score of 155.

Two years ago when the SEU boys golf team went to state together, Erickson finished with a 159, good enough for 21st overall. Last year when Erickson made it back to state individually, he shot a 157 to take 11th.

While taking home a state medal was always the goal for Erickson, he wasn’t upset with his improvements and getting into the top 10.

“It’s a little different now being done, but I was pretty happy with that top 10,” he said.

Erickson’s state tournament success and success all season, a season that saw him medal in 13 meets, earned him another repeat award as he finished his senior year as the All-Journal Boys Golfer of the Year for the second year in a row.

“It’s nice always being acknowledged for what you do,” Erickson said. “So you know everything you do, the time you put in gets acknowledged just kind of dedicates you to keep it going.”

SEU head coach Bryant Mages said Erickson’s continued success came from much dedication to the sport.

“Carson’s so deserving of what he’s accomplished over the last couple years,” Mages said. “He pretty much grew up on the golf course from sixth grade on. I remember when his mom would drop him off at the course in the morning before he was even able to drive and he would literally be up there from sunup to sundown.”

After last season, Erickson had a goal in mind to work on his driver. This year, he said the work he put in over last summer paid off.

“I think it definitely got better this year than it was last year,” Erickson said. “Overall, it was just a little longer this year, but a little bit of work in the offseason helped out. … Go out to the course a lot, hit driver, play the game, it kind of happens naturally.”

Mages said Erickson has impressed him with his continued improvements over the years.

“I think when you get to where he’s at, it’s kind of easy to plateau when you get to that level,” Mages said. “But for him, he’s been in the top 10 scoring average in the state the last three years. But even with that, he’s been improving by a stroke or so every year for nine holes, so that’s been pretty impressive to see.”

This season Erickson shot a 69 at North Links Golf Club against Springfield on May 24, an 18-hole low score. He also shot a nine-hole low of 34 on two different occasions this year and was named an All-State golfer for the third year in a row.

Erickson also finished this season as the Tomahawk Conference champion and Player of the Year for the second year in a row, turning in a nine-hole average of 37.7 to lead the Tomahawk Conference.

“It was just nice to go out, senior year, have a pretty good year,” Erickson said. “It could have been better, but its always fun to end senior year on a good note.”

Erickson said his favorite moment from his high school career was during his sophomore year when he went to the state tournament with his teammates Toby Weiss, Logan Netzke, Jack Nelson, Jacob Schultz and Allen Arneson. The SEU boys finished third in that 2021 tournament.

Travis Rosenau

SLEEPY EYE – For the third year in a row, Sleepy Eye United’s Liz Schwint punched her ticket to the Class A State Girls Golf Tournament at Pebble Creek Golf Club in Becker.

With Schwint’s experience and ability came the label of captain, something the team’s younger players have benefited from.

“If every athlete was like Liz, coaches would have a pretty easy job,” SEU head coach Bryant Mages said. “I mean, it’s kind of cliché to say things like, ‘She always gives 110%,’ but honestly, Liz never lets a single day of practice go to waste. And I think some of the younger ones see that and it motivates them to be productive at every practice, too.”

One younger SEU golfer in particular that has benefited from Schwint’s senior leadership this year was freshman Sam Price.

“She’s always been super coachable,” Mages said of Price. “She’s like a sponge. Everything you tell her, she takes it to heart and she tries to put it into practice. Like I’ve said before, we always struggle with our mental game, and that’s really where she’s developed a lot this year, I would say, and it really paid dividends for her.

“Also, I think golf really came naturally to her, and it doesn’t to some people. But, personally, I don’t think I’ve ever seen another high school girl golfer hit driver as far as she does, which is mind-boggling because she was only a freshman this year.”

Schwint and Price’s blend of youth and experience made for a real one-two punch on courses in the area this year, and their seasons also saw them finish as the 2023 All-Journal Girls Co-Golfers of the Year.

“Not only to myself, but I think it’s just a good testament to how much the Sleepy Eye United golf program has changed,” Schwint said. “We’re really strong, have a lot of good talent and a lot of potential. It means a lot that golf is so noticed now.”

Price’s strong season and awards she’s picked up during her freshman year, including being the Tomahawk Conference Girls Golfer of the Year, will certainly increase expectations from her over the next several years.

“It’s going to put a lot of pressure on me for the next couple of years, but it’s really nice to have that confidence going into the season next year and my junior year and senior year,” Price said.

Price and Schwint both made an impact for the SEU girls golf team last season as the program made its first state tournament appearance, but this year was another step forward for the team. Price finished first in this year’s Section 2A Golf Tournament at North Links Golf Club with a two-day score of 187, while Schwint was right behind her in second with a 189.

In addition to strong scoring from the rest of the team, SEU cruised back to state this year as a team. There, Price finished 29th with an 18-hole record round of 92 on the second day of the tournament for a 187 total score. Schwint finished tied for 40th with a 193, rebounding from a 101 on Day 1 with a 92 on Day 2.

Many times in high school, an older student won’t care to make friends with a freshman. But that’s not the case for Schwint and Price.

The two have developed a bond over golf that has led them to being two of the area’s best prep golfers.

“Looking back on my golf career, I would say that, overall, my favorite part has been getting to play with Sam,” Schwint said. “I didn’t know Sam before golf and now she’s one of my best friends. Seeing her succeed and seeing us both have so much success this last season has been the best part of high school golf.”

Price, who averaged a 49.1 this year over nine holes and was a seven-time medalist, said Schwint helped her out early in her career.

“As a seventh-grader, Liz kind of took me under her wing,” Price said. “And we’re really good friends and this year, it was just amazing, both of us playing really good. And her leadership really guided me seventh, eighth and freshman year.”

Schwint, who led the Tomahawk Conference with a nine-hole average score of 48.3 and was a nine-time medalist this season, said she was happy with how her career with SEU came to a close.

“I’m very happy that I ended with a really nice round for myself, a 92’s a really good score,” Schwint said. “The first day, I shot 101, which is higher than I wanted to, but I’m just very happy that I ended my career on kind of a high note – at the state tournament, our team taking sixth compared to eighth last year was a big improvement.”

Schwint will play college golf this fall with the University of Wisconsin-River Falls women’s golf team and pursue a degree in environmental science.

Price has a long way to go in her SEU golf career before she thinks about college, but she’s already looking for how she can improve next season.

“Obviously I want to improve my average score,” she said. “And I would love to take first in the conference again and first in the section again and then maybe, I don’t know how it’s going to work out next year, but hopefully top 20 at state next year.

“For me, I just hope to be more consistent with all of my clubs … I struggle with my putter sometimes, I’ve just really got to get the feel for the greens and then just be more consistent.”