MHS golfers ready to swing
Sports reporter
Travis Hett finished his Marion High School golf career with a state championship and a runner-up finish at the past two state golf tournaments.
But this is 2008, and the Warrior golfers are going to have to figure out a way to win without one of the school's all-time best golfers.
"I don't think I'm going to call it a learning year," head coach Rex Ostmeyer said of his current team. "We have three really good players, and a lot of smaller high schools don't have three as good as we do."
Seniors Keith Jones and Jake Bredemeier and junior Luke Gordon will compete for the top three spots.
The trio returns from the state-qualifying team, as well as sophomore Lindsay Hett who should battle for the fourth, fifth, or sixth spot.
Gordon was eighth at the meet with a 79, Jones shot 86, Bredemeier 88, and Hett 99.
Ostmeyer thinks the experience at state should help his returners.
"That really is a different feel," he said of playing in the premier tournament.
On the other side of the spectrum are the six freshmen Ostmeyer will have on the team this season.
It will be the deepest one since Ostmeyer took over three seasons ago.
A total of 12 golfers will be on the squad, leaving Ostmeyer the option for a full junior varsity team.
Six members can compete at each varsity meet, with the number one and two golfers making up the two-man score, and the first four, making up the four-man.
Along with the top three, Ostmeyer said Hett, freshman Landon Leiker, and exchange student Olle Gemfors are contending for the final three varsity spots.
No matter who ends up in the six spots, Ostmeyer knows they are going to have to find a way to make up for losing Travis Hett if they want to compete with their fourth-place finish at state a year ago.
"We need Keith, Jake, and Luke to drop two strokes [off their scores from last year]," he said. "And we need a fourth to step up as well."
If that happens MHS should be a force during the regular season, and have a repeat of last year.
"We have to be thinking going into every meet we can win it," Ostmeyer said.
