GRAND ISLAND — Eden Larson didn't have anyone to chase down this year.Â
And on Tuesday at the Class A girls state golf tournament, no one could chase down Eden Larson.
The Lincoln Southwest junior defended her state championship at Riverside Golf Club in Grand Island, finishing the two-day tournament at 3-over 147 to win by three shots.
"I thought last year was more exciting because of the playoff," Larson said. "But this year it was still pretty good."
As a sophomore last season, Larson rallied from a seven-stroke deficit with nine holes to play to force a playoff and eventually win her first title on the third playoff hole.
A little hiccup, but Southwest's Eden Larson is your Class A State champ for the second straight year. Omaha Marian wins the team title. Omaha Westside finishes second, Southwest third, Lincoln East fourth.
— Chris Basnett (@ChrisBasnettLJS)
She never trailed this time around, taking a two-shot lead after a 74 on Monday, and making two birdies and a clutch par on her first four holes Tuesday to lead by as many as six. Her 73 on Tuesday tied Fremont's Ansley Giesselman for low round of the day.
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Larson finished three shots ahead of Giesselmann, who was second, and seven shots clear of Omaha Marian's Madison Murnan, who finished third.
After a birdie at the par-5 opening hole and a par at the second, Larson hit her 200-yard second shot to the middle of the green at the third hole after her drive hit a tree, and two-putted from there to save par. Another birdie followed at the fourth hole.
From there, it was a matter of managing the course and her emotions over the next few hours.
"She didn't have anyone to chase, so it was kind of a tough spot for her. Every year up until now she's had someone to chase down, or a number that she's had in mind," Southwest coach Jonas Christensen said.Â
"I think that, again, proves how much she grew this year. That takes a lot of maturity, to keep your pedal down and not have a number you're really shooting for."
Larson never showed signs of being in a hurry, playing the first 13 holes in 1-under. After a bogey at the par-3 14th hole, she stuffed her approach to two feet on the 15th to make her third birdie of the day. A 25-foot par save from the fringe on 17 — after her pitch shot hit a playing partner's push cart and stopped short of rolling into a bunker, all but locked things up.
"I'm very proud," Larson said. "I just worked really hard during the summer and during the fall.
The hard work paid off. Larson ended the season by winning her final five tournaments and her victory Tuesday means a Lincoln golfer has won the last five Class A titles. Pius X's Nicole Kolbas won three in a row before Larson's victory in 2023. Larson was seventh as a freshman in 2022.
"I was working on my swing, and I just felt like it got a lot better at that point (when her winning streak started)," Larson said. "And I was playing a lot better than I had been."
Next season, Larson has the opportunity to become just the fifth Nebraska girls golfer to win three consecutive titles.
In the team race, Omaha Marian won its first Class A title since 2010. The Crusaders, season-long favorites, won by 24 shots over Omaha Westside after starting the day with a five-shot lead. Marian finished at 643 after a 318 on Tuesday.
Westside rallied on the 18th hole to edge Lincoln Southwest for second place. The Warriors' four scoring golfers played the par-5 final hole in 1-over (21 strokes) while Southwest, which held a one-shot advantage going into the hole, played the 18th in five-over (25).
Westside, which trailed Southwest by six shots to start the day, finished at 667 while Southwest and Lincoln East, the 2023 champion, tied for third at 670.Â
Westside's rally ended a nine-year streak of at least one Lincoln team finishing in the top two in Class A. It was just the second time since 2010 there wasn't a Capital City squad in first or second.
"I think — we had a low amount of girls go out this year. And that was a pretty big feat to reach when you only have eight or nine girls go out," Christensen said. "To put ourselves in position to get second at state was pretty awesome."
Lincoln East freshman Tasha Kolbas shot 78 Tuesday to finish her first state tournament tied for seventh. East senior Isabella Elgert, last year's runner-up, tied for 10th while the Spartans' Addison Shirk was 13th.