By Becky Walz,
The varsity lineup for the South Winn boys’ golf team is wide open this year with just one letter winner returning.
Now in his third season leading the Warriors, Coach Mike Wenthold has big shoes to fill as SW lost a lot of its varsity production over the past two seasons.
Back in 2019
The Warriors saw a lot of success the last time they were on the course in 2019. Beginning the season with three seniors and letter winners, SW finished strong with a third place Upper Iowa Conference finish, as four Warriors earned all-UIC honors.
Hosting the sectional tournament, South Winn toured the Silver Springs course with confidence, claiming the title with 359 strokes, led by Braden Lensing who earned medalist honors. Runner-up went to teammate Cole Klimesh, while Brandon Frana tied for fourth.
Battling rain and cool temperatures, the Warriors finished fifth with 369 strokes, bowing out of the postseason. Lensing toured the course with an 80 on his card to tie for third and earn his first state bid to the Class 1A tournament. Lensing ended his high school career at Newton’s Westwood Golf Course in a tie for 30th place after firing a 92.
Graduating since 2019 were Tayton Bullerman, Brady Hageman, Cole Klimesh, Braden Lensing, Jacob Michels, Brekin Tigges, Dallas Hageman and Kody Kleve.
On the roster
Brandon Frana is the lone returning letter winner for the Warrior linksters and will look to lead the team, along with fellow senior Logan Baumler.
Juniors looking to fill in some holes include Brady Jaster, Jacob Bohr, Martin Horstman, Shaun Klimesh and Tony Greve, along with a pair of sophomores — Carson Wenthold and Dawson Wenthold.
Freshmen who aim to get in on the action are Adrian Hageman, Aiden Feickert, Brady Lensing, Dalton Fels, Derek Busch, Jordan Baumler and Mitchell Vagts.
Overall outlook
Looking at the Upper Iowa Conference, the Warriors’ coach looks for North Fayette Valley to be the frontrunner with a young, talented team in 2019.
“It’s hard to say where we are going to fit in the conference mix. Losing a season because of the pandemic makes you lose a sense of where you stand, and even more so for where the other teams stand,” said Coach Wenthold.
While uncertain of what the season holds, the Warriors have balance among numerous players who can play solid golf and be competitive with one another.
More than anything Coach Wenthold says his team is excited just to be having a season at all.
“After last season was cancelled, having a season already feels like a huge success,” the coach said. “We lost a great deal of talent from the previous two graduating classes and have only one returning letter winner. However, our numbers are still good, and we feel that we have a lot of guys who will compete for varsity playing time. That competition will only make us better. We hope to make big strides this year and play our best by the end of the season.”
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