Members of the Gladbrook-Reinbeck boys golf team pictured Monday, May 18, in Fort Dodge while displaying their 2026 Class 1A state qualifier banner. PHOTO COURTESY G-R SCHOOLS

FORT DODGE – On Monday, May 18, the Rebel boys golf team competed at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge, where the top three teams advanced to the Class 1A State Tournament.

Lakeside provided two very different styles of golf: an open and forgiving front nine, followed by a demanding back nine featuring target golf, multiple doglegs, and several blind landing areas. The coaches emphasized that the teams advancing would earn that right on the back nine.

The Rebels responded by shooting the second-lowest score on the back nine, earning a second-place finish overall and securing a spot in the Class 1A state championship!

As a team, the Rebels posted a score of 315. The team title came down to a tiebreaker, with the Rebels falling just short on the fifth-card tiebreaker. Congratulations to Coon Rapids-Bayard Community School District for taking first overall with a 315, and Earlham Community School District for finishing third with a 316. Both teams advanced to the State Championship alongside the Rebels.

Individually, Chad Gutknecht led the Rebels with an impressive 77, finishing fifth overall. Brayden Utter matched Chad’s 77 and placed seventh overall based on the cardback tiebreaker. Anthony Knaack fired a 37 on the difficult back nine, the best back-nine score in the field, earning him ninth overall in the 79-golfer field. Laken Thesing added an 83 to round out the Rebels’ team score.

Next Tuesday and Wednesday, May 26-27, the Rebels will travel to Westwood Golf Course in Newton for a chance to compete for the 2026 Class 1A state golf championship title.

Sun Courier Note: This story was posted to the Gladbrook-Reinbeck social media feed. Corissa Snider is head coach for the Rebel golf teams; Skyler Boyer is assistant coach.