DeForest girls golf claims third straight league title

DeForest won a third consecutive Badger-Large girls golf championship, continuing its run in conference competition.

And it sounds even better when you’ve earned it.

On Wednesday, Sept. 23, DeForest girls’ golf team clinched its third consecutive Badger-Large Conference title, taking first place at the conference championship at Lake Windsor Country Club.

DeForest, ranked No. 4 in the Golf Coaches Association of Wisconsin (GCAW) Division 1 Week 4 poll, finished their day with a team score of 326. DeForest finished comfortably 30 strokes ahead of second-place finisher Waunakee (356).

DeForest’s top-four scorers finished in the top six on the leaderboard. Beaver Dam’s McKenna Nelson won the individual conference title with a 69.

Championship performance

Senior UW-Green Bay commit Brinley Goninen led DeForest with a 75, good for second overall.

Finishing right behind Goninen for third overall was senior Abigail Henriksen. The future Wisconsin Badger golfer carded a 79.

Freshman Aaliyah Crum and senior Anabelle Stravinski completed the scoring for DeForest. Both Crum and Stravinski carded an 86. Senior Addyson Heuer finished fifth overall for DeForest, shooting 95.

For DeForest, a third straight conference title is just the start for what is expected to be another exciting postseason run.

DeForest is two-time qualifiers for the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) Division 1 team state tournament. They qualified for state the previous season after finishing runner-up at their sectional, led by an individual sectional title from Henriksen, who shot a 70.

DeForest finished sixth at University Ridge in 2024 with a 681. DeForest improved upon that mark in 2025, shooting a 648 and placing third at state.

Individually, Goninen finished fourth, Henriksen finished seventh and Stravinski placed 39th at state the previous season. It was Henriksen’s second top-10 finish after notably placing third in 2024.

Up next, DeForest will head to the Hartford Golf Course for a tournament on Friday, Sept. 25, before postseason play officially begins.

First up will be regionals. DeForest is in Regional A of Sectional No. 3, per the WIAA. They will head to Hiawatha Golf Club in Tomah on Wednesday, Sept. 30. If DeForest advances, they’ll host sectionals at Lake Windsor Country Club on Monday, Oct. 5.

2026 Badger-Large Conference Tournament Team Scores

Additional details

1.) DeForest: 326

2.) Waunakee: 356

3.) Oregon: 357

4.) Beaver Dam: 368

5.) Monona Grove: 391

6.) Milton: 392

7.) Baraboo: 414

8.) Watertown: 422