Minot State senior Zoe Banak tees off in the first day of tournament play at the 5th Annual Marauders Tournament on Tuesday, September 30. Photo by University of Mary, courtesy of MSU Athletics.

On Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, the Minot State men’s and women’s golf teams shot their final round of the fall season in the University of Sioux Falls Invitational at Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort in Larchwood, IA.

The Beavers faced off against 12 other schools in conference play, with the men taking home seventh over all, and the women taking 12th. The Beavers played through tough conditions, ending on the 14th before settling in for their long winters’ nap.

After months in the off season training and perfecting their craft, men’s and women’s golf head coach Gary Brekhus says that the teams are back and more powerful than ever.

“They’ve been busting their butts. They’re working every day in the bubble and in the team room. They’re getting ready. They’re honing in on their skills. They’re striping the ball. It’s fun to watch,” said Coach Brekhus. “They look in ways stronger than they did in the fall, and that’s saying something, because they looked really strong in the fall.”

Coach Brekhus first joined the Minot State golf program in winter of the 2023-24 season, taking over as head coach of the program just this past summer in 2025. Since his takeover as head coach, Brekhus has led the Beavers through five men’s golf tournaments and five women’s tournaments, traveling around the midwest with his athletes to compete.

After the end of the fall season with the Minot golf courses closing down and winter weather fast approaching, the Beavers had to find alternatives to playing on the grass.

“Because of the weather, all the courses are closed, so we can’t get out on the course to actually watch the ball fly and get the feel of the grass interacting, you know,” said Coach Brekhus. “But we have some pretty awesome indoor facilities with the bubble and our new team room that we built, where we’ve got a launch monitor set up with a 16 foot putting green moving platform. And the bubble turns into about a 100 yard driving range for us.”

Despite their limited conditions, coach Brekhus still feels like the Beavers have done tremendous work over the break. For the last few months, the Beavers have honed in on their short game, working with what they can to prepare for their return to the fairway.

“Our focus going in is mostly short game, those 100 yard and in shots, just because that’s what we can really dial those numbers in inside the bubble,” said coach Brekhus. “But really, I mean, we’re working on everything. We’re working on a little bit of course management with our simulators and our launch monitors, and strength.”

The women’s team spent a lot of their time over the break down south in Arizona, Nevada and Florida, playing in the warmer weather to prepare for their eventual return to the north.

“As the weather warms up, we’re hoping that early April, or maybe even late March, we can get out on the course,” said Coach Brekhus. “Hopefully by the time we get back from Arizona and before we go to Kansas City, we can get out on the course. That’s not always the case, but our preparation remains the same.”

Coach Brekhus says that senior Zoe Banack has been a heavy lifter for the women’s team so far this year, with lots of great results during the break. But Brekhus also emphasized a newer player to the team, junior Micaela Resler. Resler played 30 games for the Minot State softball team in the spring of 2025, finishing with a batting average of .250 (21 out of 84) with 1 double, 2 triples, 5 RBIs, 3 stolen bases, 19 putouts, and 2 assists. This season, she’ll also be putting the greens around the country.

“We can really tell that [Resler’s] put in the work over the break, and she’s setting the ball great,” said Coach Brekhus. “So I’m pretty excited to see what she does this spring.”

For the men’s team, Minot North graduate Kasen Rostad has been a heavy hitter since day one. During his time in high school, Rostad was named 2025’s Mr. Golf by Dakota Junior Golf Association and was named the WDA’s West Region Senior Athlete of the Year. In his final varsity year at Minot North, Rostad led the Sentinels golf team to the 2025 state championship, winning the tournament as a team with himself finishing 3rd individually. As a part of the Beavers, he has remained a powerful asset in their time on the course.

“[He’s] just a phenomenal golfer, great athlete and great person all around,” said Coach Brekhus. “Kasen’s a force to be reckoned with.”

Junior Gunther Soltvedt, a transfer out of Nebraska, has been topping the charts for the men’s team through the first half of the season. Although he was never able to break through to the podium in the fall, Soltvedt has been in the top 15-20 players consistently. Coach Brekhus says that they are just waiting for his breakthrough round.

“I think it will come pretty early this spring. He’s actually played the course in Arizona before, so he knows it a little bit,” said Coach Brekhus. “I think he’s going to come out with a vengeance.”

The second half of the golf season kicks off in early March, with both teams making the trip down to Arizona on the ninth. The men’s team is taking part in the Maverick Desert Classic at Palm Valley Golf Club in Goodyear, AZ while the women will be at the Wigwam Resort Red Course in Litchfield Park, AZ as part of the SMSU Spring Invite.

The Beavers will have just one tournament before they are called to the NSIC Men’s Conference Preview and the NSIC Women’s Conference Preview in Missouri starting on Apr. 13 and Mar. 30 respectively.

After the conference previews, the Beavers teams will head to Rapid City, SD for the Hardrocker Spring Invite. That will be their last official tournament time before the NSIC Tournament First Round begins on Friday, Apr. 17, back in Smithville, MO.