Jun 5, 2024 | By: Charlie Yaeger
Cass Lake-Bena Qualifies 3 Golfers for Individual Class A State Tournament

Three Cass Lake-Bena golfers have qualified as individuals in the Class A State Tournament in Becker starting Tuesday, June 11. Contributed photo. (From left to right: Dominic Staples-Fairbanks, Gaven Brown, and Aaliyah LaRose)
Cass Lake-Bena golf has seen a number of individuals qualify for the Class A State Tournament in recent years, and the Panthers are adding three more golfers to the list this season, two of which already have state tournament experience.
For the boys, senior Dominic Staples-Fairbanks is making his fourth appearance after finishing eighth at the Section 7A championships, while senior Gaven Brown is making the trip for the second time after a 10th place finish. And on the girls’ side, Aaliyah LaRose will be making her first state appearance as a sophomore after a sixth place finish.
All three golfers shared their goals for the state tournament at Pebble Creek Golf Club in Becker next week, and the support they’ve received from their community.
“Place as high as I can, [hopefully] shoot both rounds in the seventies,” said Brown. He also said going for a second time is “just as exciting. But I’m way more confident. Feels good, like a sense of pride, you know? Just do the best I can for us.”
“It’s a big thing, you know,” added Staples-Fairbanks. “There’s a lot a lot of people in this community, golf, that show support whenever I see them. And also proving to young kids, it’s not just about basketball in this town, but we can also do other things, just like in golf, going to state, even other sports if they wanted to.”
“My goals this year is just to have fun because I still have a couple of years ahead of me and it’s also my first time,” said LaRose. “So I’m not trying to put so much pressure on myself to place. Cass Lake-Bena is a really supportive school and they’re really proud of me. They’re proud of all of us.”
The first round of the Class A State Golf Tournament will begin Tuesday, June 11th with the second round to be played the following day.