Mittag Ties 36-hole Mark to Lead 118th Nebraska Amateur
Round Two Conducted Wednesday at Norfolk Country Club
NORFOLK (July 29, 2026) - Ashland's Coltrane Mittag continued his record pace, matching the lowest 36-hole total in championship history, and leads the 118th Nebraska Amateur Championship after Round Two at Norfolk Country Club on Wednesday.
After tying the first round scoring record on Tuesday, Mittag kept it low with a 68 (-4) in the second round, and leads by three strokes. His 133 (-11) total matches the championship record, set by Lincoln's Steve Friesen in 1998 at Lochland Country Club in Hastings. That year, Friesen shot the same rounds of 65 (-7) and 68 (-4), and went on to set several championship marks, including the 72-hole scoring record of 21-under.
Mittag, the 2026 Nebraska Match Play Champion, started on the back nine and was in cruise control again. He reached 12-under after three-straight birdies on Nos. 17, 18 and 1. A bogey on No. 2 dropped him back to 11-under, where he stayed to tie Friesen's record.
The wind picked up on Wednesday, but there were still red numbers to be found. 17 players broke par during the second round, and once again a record 20 are under-par after 36-holes. The previous record was 16 in 1998, when Friesen won. The scoring average was even lower during round two, moving to 75.94, with the field making 344 birdies and 15 eagles.
Lincoln's Gavin Gerch is the closest competitor to Mittag. He sits at 136 (-8) after the round of the day, a 65 (-7). Gerch came out firing in his second round, driving the green on the short par-4 10th and making the putt for eagle. He followed that up with birdies on Nos. 11 and 12 to move to 5-under, and didn't let up from there.
Gerch, who has transferred from Creighton to Nebraska for his junior year, followed his hot start up with birdies on Nos. 1, 3 and 6 to move into the final pairing with Mittag.
Lincoln's Geran Sander was one of nine players to post two-straight rounds under-par, following up his first round 68 (-4) with a 70 (-2). He's in third at 138 (-6), five strokes back.
A strong trio of golfers all shot 70 (-2) and 69 (-3) to sit in a tie for fourth at 139 (-5). That group includes a couple of Nebraska Match Play Champions, Beau Petersen of Gretna and Johnny Spellerberg of Bennington, as well as Omaha's Sam Vocelka.
Ethan Smith of Doniphan also achieved that feat, with rounds of 69 (-3) and 71 (-1), and he is seventh at 140 (-4). Four players are tied for eighth at 141 (-3), rounding out the Top-10, including 2026 Nebraska Junior Amateur Champion Tommy Kelley of Omaha, who fired a 67 (-5) on Wednesday. He's joined at 3-under by Kearney's Dylan Dahlstedt, Lincoln's Scott Tridle and Creighton golfer Jacob Kutner.
The field was cut after the second round, and the 150 (+6) cutline was the lowest in Nebraska Amateur history. Sixty-two players advanced to Thursday's third round.
Those making the cut included Elkhorn's Ryan Nietfeldt (+1), the 2002 Champion, who moved to fourth all-time with his 23rd career made cut. The 2021 Champion David Easley (+1) of Lincoln made his 18th cut, which moved him to a tie for 10th all-time. Lincoln's Travis Minzel (+4) also moved up to T-7 with his 19th made cut.
Round Three begins at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, with play in twosomes off No. 1. Mittag and Gerch are in the final pairing at 12:30 p.m. Pairings are available on the championship website below, along with the scoring page and additional information.
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The Nebraska Golf Association (NebGolf), founded in 1966, is comprised of all members of public and private clubs and/or municipal or regional golf associations which utilize an approved handicap service recognized by the USGA and provided by NebGolf. Our mission is to uphold and promote the game of golf and its values to all golfers in Nebraska. Among the duties of the Association include governance of member clubs and service as their handicapping and course rating authority, conduct of state golf championships, local USGA qualifying & other notable competitions, promotion of junior golf, presentation of worthwhile educational programs and support of allied golf organizations in Nebraska. The Nebraska Golf Association is an Allied Golf Association of the USGA and carries out core services including Handicap Administration and Oversight, Course Rating, Rules of Golf and Rules of Amateur Status, Tournaments and USGA Championship Qualifiers and USGA Initiatives and Community Programs.
