The M&O Conference has officially released its 2026 All-Conference Golf Teams, celebrating the top individual and team performances from across the region.
The Coleman Cougars captured the M&O Conference Boys Golf Championship, while Cooper Demmith of the Lena Wildcats was honored as the M&O Conference Golfer of the Year.
Joining Demmith on the All-Conference First Team are the Gillett Tigers’ Brody Halla and the Coleman Cougars trio of Reezen Owens, Hunter Seefeldt, and Landon Seefeldt.
The Lena Wildcats’ Cooper Demmith earned the conference’s highest individual honor after a stellar, remarkably consistent season on the course. Lena head coach John Moe shared his praise for the newly crowned Golfer of the Year, emphasizing the distinct style and demeanor that set Demmith apart:
“Cooper Demmith is as steady as they come. We tried to get him to be more aggressive at the beginning of the season and take more chances, but that is not his game. He is a drill the fairway type of player and sacrifices a little distance for accuracy. His 2 biggest strengths and what propelled him to M & O Conference - Player of the Year, is his short game and calm demeanor, which in golf is essential. Cooper is a great kid and a joy to coach. Cooper is also a2x All Academic All State recipient.”
Led by head coach Dexter Karban, the Coleman Cougars boys golf program put together a championship season powered by a tight-knit team chemistry that nearly carried them all the way to the state tournament. Reflecting on the group’s journey to a conference title, Coach Karban highlighted the unteachable qualities his players brought to the course:
“It’s been an honor coaching these kids and seeing their hard work pay off. The biggest thing that all of them have in common is something that you can’t teach - passion for the sport. They all put in the work outside of practice to become successful, and that is something that you don’t see much of these days. Due to their mutual love of the sport, they all encouraged each other to be the best golfers that they could be. Whether it was playing an additional 18 holes after a meet together or carpooling to a practice round, they were truly a team in an individual sport, which ultimately led us to the conference championship.”
Karban noted that the postseason provided a massive turning point for the squad, even though they fell just short of a trip to State:
“Because of their strong team dynamic, I can’t just point out one specific thing that each of them did because, to be honest, they all had their ups and downs. But something that stuck out to me is that during regionals, the whole team had a good round, and you could tell that sparked an even bigger fire in them and gave them the confidence going into sectionals that they could make it to State, and we almost did! Unfortunately, we missed making it by only 6 strokes.”
Individually, Coleman’s three First-Team all-conference selections each brought unique, complementary strengths to the links. Coach Karban evaluated the distinct games of Reezen Owens, Landon Seefeldt, and Hunter Seefeldt as follows:
“Reezen doesn’t let anything get him down. If he has a bad hole, he shakes it off, and it’s on to the next one, which aids in his consistency.”
“Landon is very good off the tee; he finds the fairways, which sets him up for a good round.”
“Hunter has a great short game; he is able to get up and down to keep his scores low.”
With the entire roster slated to return, the future remains incredibly bright for the defending conference champions. As Karban added:
“Fortunately, the whole team is coming back next year, and I know that they are all excited to get back out on the course to compete. I can’t wait to see where their passion takes them - hopefully to the state championship!”
The Gillett Tigers’ sophomore Brody Halla secured his spot on the First Team following an impressive breakout campaign. First-year head coach Tyler Raatz expressed immense pride in how Halla and the entire Tigers team shattered expectations this season:
“ I guess first I’d like to say not only am I proud of Brody but I’m proud of all my players. This is my first year coaching and knowing last year as a team they finished towards being last in the conference. This year the team jumped into a tie for second place and all 5 of my varsity players finished 12 place or better individually in the conference. I am very proud of all the players on the team! This upcoming season we do lose 2 seniors but they will be filled with 2 other good players!”
Raatz recalled a stunning early-season performance at Whistling Straits that set the tone for Halla’s exceptional year:
“As for Brody I believe the first stand out moment was our first match of the year which ended up being Whistling Straits. Due to other conference matches being cancelled because of the wet spring conditions, whistling straits was our first one. With Brody the previous year as a freshman not being able to shoot under 100 for a score that was his mindset this year. Well instead of breaking 100 he broke 90 which he has never done before. He shot an 89, needless to say we all were shocked and from then on he continued to play well all year. Everyone on the team would set goals before each match and we would prepare ourselves at practice with what each person needed to improve on to help them reach their goals.”
According to Raatz, Halla’s success was ultimately built on deep focus and a fierce competitive drive:
“I’d say what helped Brody the most on staying consistent was the way he mentally prepared himself. He kept golf simple and didn’t overthink shots and situations he got into. He wasn’t one to show emotion on the golf course which I feel like that’s one of his strengths. Staying in the moment and in the zone is very important in golf and he’s learning that early on. The one word to best describe his competitive mindset on the golf course would have to be “fierce.” He definitely knows his game and when he’s swinging well, watch out. Also by Brody only being a sophomore this season and he’s already making these leaps in his game, the upcoming years should be fun to watch.”
The conference also recognized a deeply talented Second Team, showcasing strong depth across several area programs. The 2026 M&O All-Conference Second Team selections are:
Tanner Behnke — Lena Wildcats
Griffen Christiansen — Crivitz Wolverines
Parker Jenerou — Gillett Tigers
Bradyn Kiedrowski — Gillett Tigers
Tyler Langer — Crivitz Wolverines
Alex Logan — Crivitz Wolverines
Landon Risner — Coleman Cougars
Chase Rosenlund — Gillett Tigers
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