Ready for a run; Vikings eyeing top-three finish

On the links for the Decorah boys golf team in 2023 are (front, l-r) Jonathon Egan, Lane Rolfs, Hunter Quandahl, Andrew Olson, Cade Averhoff, Jackson Pipho, Shane Treangen; (back) Jack Knoke, Kollin Henry Andrew Rhodes, Ben Bockman, Bradan Darling, Lincoln Robinson and Coach Rich Gaard. Not pictured is Kade O’Hara. (Photo courtesy of Tami Bohr)

By Becky Walz,

Friday, April 21, 2023 11:46 am

On the links for the Decorah boys golf team in 2023 are (front, l-r) Jonathon Egan, Lane Rolfs, Hunter Quandahl, Andrew Olson, Cade Averhoff, Jackson Pipho, Shane Treangen; (back) Jack Knoke, Kollin Henry Andrew Rhodes, Ben Bockman, Bradan Darling, Lincoln Robinson and Coach Rich Gaard. Not pictured is Kade O’Hara. (Photo courtesy of Tami Bohr)

A core group of talented athletes is back for the Decorah boys golf team in 2023.
The Vikings return four letter winners and a group of linksters ready for their turn to shine.
Helping the team lower their scores all season long is head coach Rich Gaard, who has been with the program for 54 years.

A great season
With weather up and down all season, the Vikings capped off 2022 in third at the Northeast Iowa Conference meet with 346 points with Waverly-Shell Rock claiming the league crown with 314 ahead of Charles City’s 337. However, four Vikes earned all-NEIC honors for finishing in the top 15 including Ethan Holthaus (7th, 84 on 18-holes), Lane Rolfs (9th, 85), Ben Bockman (12th, 87) and Jack Knoke (14th, 90).
Decorah battled a strong field at the sectional tournament, finishing with 362 strokes in eighth place.

The key names
The Vikes will have two varsity spots to replace with the graduation of Joe Bockman (47.95 strokes per nine hole average) and Gavin Stortz (56.55).
They do have four with varsity time. B. Bockman finished his sophomore season with the best nine-hole average for Decorah at 44.09. Lane Rolfs, also a junior, was second on the team last season with a 45.09 average with Jackson Knoke firing a 45.34 average. Jackson Pipho will be back on the links with a letter for his sophomore season with a 51.62 average from a year ago.
Coach Gaard has numerous other names to turn to including senior Jonathan Egan and Lincoln Robinson; juniors Cade Averhoff, Kollin Henry and Andrew Rhodes; sophomores Bradan Darling, Andrew Olson, Hunter Quandahl and Shane Treangen; and freshman Kade O’Hara.

Look out
Coach Gaard sees Waverly-Shell Rock and Charles City as being the top teams in the area and squads to beat along the way to a title. However, he is excited to see what his team does on the links, as the Vikings look to finish at least third in the Northeast Iowa Conference.
“With experienced lettermen coming back it is looking to be a great season,” concluded Coach Gaard.

Submit A Comment

Fill out the form to submit a comment. All comments require approval by our staff before it is displayed on the website.

Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comment
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments