By John Heglie / For the Leader

Ronan golf Outlook

On the boys side, two Chiefs return with varsity experience, state qualifier Nolan Harris along with Austin Cheff. On the girls side, two Maidens return from last year's varsity team, Erin Irvine and Chelsea Lipscomb. Senior Jordan Strozzi, who played volleyball last season, was a member of the golf team her sophomore year and rejoins them this Fall. Ronan golf coach Rupe Paulson hopes to round out the remainder of both squads with a host of less experienced golfers who not only learn the game quickly, but whose rate of improvement places Ronan in contention during upcoming tournaments.

Polson boys golf outlook

Only state qualifier Tyler Engebretson, who placed 10th at state last season, returns from last year's Pirate varsity squad that graduated Shawn Medland, Ed Truman and Aaron Storro. Tyler hopes to have climbed several rungs higher by the time the close of the season rolls around. With Joe Andrews pursuing football aspirations this Fall, the only other upperclassman thus far vying for a slot on this year's varsity is senior Seth Hovenkotter. These vacancies leave the field wide open, posing a challenge for coach Bill Owen to identify the best candidates who master the game quickly, demonstrate consistency and improve steadily over the course of the season. Trying out for several of these slots is a large sophomore contingent which includes Jesse Alfiero, Kole Cordier, Justin Evertz, Logan Howell, Dakotah Jensen and John Walk. German exchange student Tom Deanovic (pronounced dee-ahn-o-vich), trying his hand at golf for the first time, hopes to add some continental flavor to his American counterparts. Though a freshman, Cody Fischer brings a measure of experience from participation in an assortment of tournaments at a pre-high school level, with fellow underclassman Colton Bjork rounding out the contenders who have thus far shown up at the inception of the first week of practice. The outlook on the season looks promising despite the lack of varsity experience, as many of those trying out are quick learners and have shown aptitude in other fields where mastery of fine motor skills are called upon.

Polson girls golf outlook

The Lady Pirate golf team returns essentially their entire roster intact from last year's third-place state finish, with only Whitefish transfer Ashley Archer an unknown factor at this early juncture of the preseason. Senior ace Julia DiGiallonardo, who individually placed 4th at state her sophomore year and 7th last year, anchors a squad that has a credible chance of contending for top honors at the state tournament by the end of the season. Fellow senior Cali Hislop would like nothing better than to add to the hardware she acquired this past Spring as girls Class A doubles champion. Junior NaTalia "Tali" Arlint has made significant strides the past two seasons, fine tuning her game which netted her a tie for 10th place at the State A tournament last Fall. Sophomore Amy Williamson, who also brings state experience to the table, has been fine tuning her game over the course of the summer. Fellow sophomore Heather Mathison brings a healthy resum to round out a very strong roster of golfing prowess. Newcomer Tammy Heftved, a freshman, hopes to glean all she can from her more experienced teammates as she seeks to master her game. Other contenders will likely emerge as the preseason unfolds, but at this juncture, perennial contender Whitefish may want to watch their backs when this squad steps on the golf course.