Getting some consistent weather to practice in would be a major help to Montezuma’s golf teams as they work toward peaking at the end of the season.
Montezuma was scheduled to open play on Monday, April 4, in a multi-school meet at Diamond Trail Golf Club, the home of Lynnville-Sully’s team.
Liesl Roorda and Randy Masterson again are the co-coaches for Montezuma.
“We’re starting the season with six returning gentlemen and four ladies,” Roorda said.
“We have one senior, Eddie Burgess, who, with his athletic skills and competitive mindset, we see as being a great team leader,” Roorda said. “He encourages everyone and has fun while still working hard.”
Roorda said Burgess has “fallen in love with the game over the last three years and is really putting in the work.”
She said Maguire De Jong, returning for his junior year, “will contribute greatly to the team with consistency after a lot of hard work over the summer. We see him stepping into some leadership roles, also.”
Junior Owen Cook and sophomores Jack Erselius and Tod Geiger also return, “and we hope these three will become more consistent and competitive for the varsity lineup,” Roorda said.
Roorda said she and Masterson are “looking forward to seeing what Carsten James can add to the team. He competed for Lynnville-Sully last year.”
“There are a couple other young men who we are anxious to see how they will improve and add to the team of varsity and junior varsity,” Roorda said.
On the girls side
The Bravettes have three returning varsity players.
Roorda said the coaches are looking for juniors Aislyn Hutchcraft and Madalyn Fleming and sophomore Chloe Hutchcraft to “pick up where they left off last season and continue to improve.”
“Sadie De Jong began her golfing career last year and we look for her to also continue to improve and play a part,” Roorda said.
“Abbi Pope, a junior, is new to the team, and we are seeing a great, hard-working spirit. We see her also contributing to the varsity lineup and continuing to improve,” the coach said.
Back to the boys: “Eight new gentlemen joined the team,” Roorda said. “We’re getting to know them and help them get acquainted with our goals and expectations. We hope to see their competitive spirits come through and propel them to helping push for the varsity spots.”
Roorda said “more multi-team meets have been added to the schedule to push the kids with more competition and to build on last year’s success.”
“Both the boys and girls teams made huge strides last year, and we look for that to continue and help us to be very competitive at the SICL meet and in the post-season,” Roorda said.
Montezuma Golf
Boys
Maguire De Jong
Eddie Burgess
Owen Cook
Cruz De Jong
Jack Erselius
Tod Geiger
Carsten James
Alex Black
Maddux Anderson
Houston VanRoekel
Peyton Minner
Matt Karadios
Justin Smith
Braxton Simpson
Girls
Madalyn Fleming
Aislyn Hutchcraft
Chloe Hutchcraft
Sadie De Jong
Abbi Pope