MADISON — For the first time in school history, the St. Thomas More girls golf team are  champions.

The Cavaliers jumped both Vermillion and a tie with Sioux Falls Christian after Day 1 to claim their first-ever girls golf team championship.

“It feels great,” said junior Rylan Horning. “We’ve always dreamed of being state champions, it’s the first in our school’s history so it means a lot to put our team together and do as best as we can and, as a result, we are finally state champions.”

Horning, along with freshman Kaitlin Strain, powered the Cavaliers to a team title by shaving off a combined 12 strokes from the opening day of the tournament.

Both Horning and Strain say the conditions out at Madison Golf and Country Club weren’t ideal on Day 1, but let up for the final 18 holes of the tournament.

“I think it was partially just the conditions because there was so much wind yesterday that there wasn’t today,” Strain said. “I also just felt like I played better as well. I did have some misses and stuff but that happens to everybody and I felt like I came back after bad holes and I limited my damage today.”

This team championship was three years in the making for the Cavaliers, with both Horning (2023) and Strain (2024) winning the two previous individual state championships.

“It means so much. It’s still not processing to me,” Strain said on the team championship. “I think it’s just crazy, and how we went back-to-back-to-back for individuals too, it’s just really, really cool. I’m so glad that everybody stepped up and we were able to make it happen.”

But for Horning, who tore her ACL during the 2024 season, it was a special moment as she returned, shooting a 157, winning the 2025 individual championship by three strokes.

“That year I really got back to my chipping and putting, really worked on that,” said Horning on the injury. “But it just gave me a realization of not to take what I love for granted and just to come out here and do it for fun and have the results do what they can.”

Horning came into Day 2 of the state tournament in a tie for third place with West Central’s Air Jacobs and Vermillion’s Taylor Reuvers, with Aberdeen Roncalli’s Claire Crawford and Sioux Falls Christian’s Tori Peterson sitting in first and second, respectively.

St. Thomas More’s Rylan Horning is mobbed by her teammates after finishing up her round on No. 18 to clinch the individual title during the state girls Class A golf tournament Tuesday June 3, 2025 in Madison. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

Horning responded to her score of 81 on the first day by cutting off five strokes for a tournament-best 76 on Day 2. The trend continued Tuesday with bogeys on six of the first seven holes.

“I didn’t have my best round but just came out here today wanting to get back and I succeeded in my goal,” Strain said.

Over the final 11 holes of the tournament, Horning recorded just one bogey, two birdies and one eagle to earn the Class A girls individual golf championship.

“I definitely didn’t have a great start, my front nine wasn’t very good,” said Horning on her Day 2 performance. "But I just kept hitting greens, fairways, and just having my short game good and having the results do what they can.”

Like Horning, Strain also shaved off strokes from the first day to the second, with Strain going from an 81 the first day to a 77 the second to earn a third place finish individually as well. They were the only two golfers to shoot under 82 on Day 2.

“We push each other, that's for sure,” said Strain on her relationship with Horning. “I just really look up to her as a mentor and I love her so much.”

On top of Horning and Strain’s outings, the other two Cavaliers included in the team score were Sydney Guiseffi and Amity Strand, who both finished inside the top-25. Guiseffi took 21st with a score of 182 while Strand tied for 25th with a score of 185.

But at the end of the tournament Tuesday, it was Horning’s turn to cap off history for the Cavaliers. After recording a birdie on hole 18, she was met with her teammates and celebrated their championship.