The Milbank Bulldogs Girls’ Golf Team plans to use the 2016 season to rebuild and gain valuable experience on the golf course. Mark Keeton is in his sixth year as the head coach.
Freshman Kylie Kasuske will lead the team and is the lone returning letter winner from last season. Junior newcomers, Mikaela Hoeke and Clare VanDover, will help to bring leadership to the young team. Filling out the roster are: Korinne Roggenbuck, Tori Quade, Claire Mischel, and Alaina Rausch.
“Our numbers are down this year so everyone on the team is going to get their chance,” stated Keeton. “With fewer players, I will be able to give more one-on-one instruction which will be good for this young and inexperienced team.”
The Lady Bulldogs will focus on their short game on and around the green. “This is where we can save the most strokes,” noted Keeton. “With that being said, we are just going to try to improve every week.”
The 2016 girls’ season has been moved back two weeks in an effort to provide the players with better weather and a full season. “It’s nice to know we can start our season outdoors. There are some things we can do indoors, but we are able to get much more done when we can be out on the course.”
While traditionally the season concludes at the end of May, this year the state Class A tournament is June 6-7 in Hot Springs. “Our region meet is after the state track meet is over,” explained Keeton. “We hope to stay competitive and focused that long after school ends.”
Another change the Lady Bulldogs will see this season will be the scoring at the state tournament. “In the past, the monitor’s score sheet was the official score for the athlete,” said Keeton. “There will still be a monitor keeping score for each group, but now the athlete’s scorecard is the official card. Golfers need to be careful to check each hole is scored correctly before they sign their card. I always tell my golfers to make sure they are accurate on each hole and not worry about the total. One cannot get disqualified for bad math, but one can for putting down the wrong score for a hole.”
According to the coach, the BirdieFire scoring will again be used for the state tournament. “This live scoring is nice for those who cannot attend and is a great way to keep track of how everyone is doing during the meet.”
Keeton predicts the top teams in the conference and region will be Madison, Sisseton, and Groton. Milbank competes in its first tournament today, Thursday, April 14, at the Lake Region Golf Course in Hayti.
Staff Writer
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