Mandan wins dual match against Minot North

In a matchup of the top two teams in the West Region, Mandan showed why it’s the team to beat in girls golf again this season, topping Minot North, 7-2, in a dual competition on Monday, Aug. 25, at Painted Woods Golf Course in Washburn.

The Braves won five of six singles matches and two of three doubles matches. Minot North’s Ally Larson was part of both of the Sentinels wins on the day, besting Brittyn Mettler in her singles match, 2&1. She teamed up with Katelyn Bast and posted a 2&1 victory over Mettler and Brookyln Monteith.

Mandan won everything else, most by a comfortable margin. Kinzy Welstad played the most competitive match of the day, falling to Stray Ressler by a single hole. Isabella Hale won 5&3 against Emersyn Kopp and Monteith claimed a 3&2 victory over Bast. Sloane Tentis (9&7) and Aliya Copas (8&6) knocked off Miyah Fundingsland and Abigail Speer, respectively.

Ressler and Hale and Tentis and Copas won their doubles matches against Welstad and Kopp and Fundingsland and Speer, respectively.

The Sentinels compete in the Williston Invite on Thursday, Aug. 28, at Eagle Ridge Golf Club at 10 a.m.

Sentinels fall to Williston in boys tennis

The Minot North boys tennis team won a pair of doubles matches, but were swept in four singles matches, dropping a non-conference contest to Williston, 5-2, at Hammond Park on Monday, Aug. 25.

Colton Griffith and Parker Vigestad posted a straight-set victory over Williston’s Gavin Douglas and Brooks Bratlien in No. 1 doubles and Peyton Opp and Carter Fry played the most exciting match of the day at No. 2 doubles. The duo won a first-set tiebreak, 7-6 (4), before dropping the next step, but won the match with a 10-3 tiebreak in the third to beat Williston’s Torsten Thomas and Brennan DeLorme.

The rest of the match belonged to the Coyotes (2-2), who swept the other five contests. Kallon DeLorme, Kane Shannon, Rhett Carns and Carter Anfinson won their respective singles matches and Chaz Bakken and Eli Buth kept the Sentinels (1-3) from completing the sweep in doubles.

Minot North returns to the courts on Tuesday, Aug. 26, when the team hosts Bismarck Century at Hammond Park at 4:15 p.m. to begin their conference schedule.

Minot North claims top spot in first AA football media poll

Minot North received 11 of 15 first-place votes and will enter the season as the top Class AA football team in the state, according to the first media poll released on Monday, Aug. 25. The Sentinels received 66 points overall and open their season on the road at Williston on Friday, Aug. 29.

Kindred, which is making the move up from Class A and was the state runners-up last season, received one first-place vote and is No. 2 in the poll, while Grand Forks Red River – last year’s Class AA runners-up – garnered two first-place votes and Central Cass grabbed the other and sit third and fourth, respectively. Bismarck St. Mary’s rounds out the top five.

Devils Lake, Jamestown, Dickinson, Grand Forks Central and Fargo South also received votes in this week’s poll.

Defending state-champion West Fargo Sheyenne is No. 1 to start the season in Class AAA, receiving eight first-place votes. The Mustangs narrowly edged out Fargo Davies, who received six first-place votes and are ranked No. 2. Sheyenne garnered 62 total points, while the Eagles finished with 60.

Bismarck Century received the final two first-place votes and are third in the poll. Bismarck High and Minot round out the top five. It is the 12th consecutive week that Bismarck High, Fargo Davies, Minot and Sheyenne appear in the poll.

Bismarck Legacy, West Fargo Horace, Fargo Shanley and West Fargo also received votes.