Golfers turn in strong performance

April 16, 2010 • Jacob Tanking  
Filed under Sports

Golf season is about to start and Holton High is returning four of the six varsity golfers from last year. The other two spots are being occupied by freshman Jaxon Wright, and freshman Cameron Karns.

Kellen Brandt, sophomore, has high hopes for this year’s team.

“I think we will be pretty good. Sabetha lost a few good golfers and Nemaha Valley will be a tough competitor this year but I really like our chances to win the Big 7,” he said.

The varsity is very young, consisting of three freshmen: Cameron Karns, Tavin Dugan and Jaxon Wright and three sophomores: Zach Fate, Kellen Brandt, and Garrett Holaday. Zach Fate and Kellen Brandt played varsity last year.

“The biggest challenge for the team this year will be maintaining a constant six golfers that can play at a high level consistently,” said Fate.

The team’s goals this year consist of winning the league and going to state as a team.

“I think if we can maintain a high level of play all year and stay healthy, we will have a very good shot to go far into the season,” he added.

Coach Don Swisher said that this was one of the youngest teams he’s ever taken into a meet.

“The team works really hard during practice. They do a lot of 100-yard shots and in working on their chipping and putting. That is where most of the scoring comes from,” he said.  “The hardest meet we will play in this year will be the rolling medals meet at Junction City. There will be about 14 schools at this meet and it’s always filled with good competition.”

When asked about the budget cuts and how they are going to affect the team this year Coach Swisher wasn’t too worried.

“The only real change we made was that we did not purchase any golf balls this year. We always try to be as self-supporting as we can each year, meaning the players pay for everything including their team bags, and their pullovers. We always do one big fundraiser at the end of the season, which is the Holton Golf benefit tournament. There is always a good turn out. About a hundred golfers come and compete on a 9- hole tournament. All money is contributed to the players’ equipment. We auction off our team to players in the benefit tournament as caddies. This fundraiser plays a big part in the purchasing of equipment for the team and it is always a good time.”

The team will be playing in eight meets this year, plus the regional which is on May 17. Holton is holding it this year. If the team wins their regional, they will have the opportunity to compete at state, adding up to 10 possible meets.

At the meet at Washington County on Tuesday, April 6, the varsity team took fourth.  Four golfers placed in the top 10 including Kellen Brandt, who took first; Jaxon Wright who placed third; Zach Fate, who placed fourth; and Cameron Karn, who placed eighth. Garrett Holaday took eighteenth and Tavin Dugan took twenty-first.

“It was a great start to the year,” Wright said.

The Wildcats took fourth as a team and hope to improve as the year progresses.

Tags:

 Email This Post        Print This Post