By Becky Walz,
It will be a mix of veterans and newcomers that tees off for the South Winn boys’ golf team this spring.
With three letter winners back from last year and a solid team of other athletes ready to crack the varsity line-up, the Warriors could finish near the top of the Upper Iowa Conference in 2022.
Leading the way are Michael Wenthold and Glenna Munuswamy.
It will be a mix of veterans and newcomers that tees off for the South Winn boys’ golf team this spring.
With three letter winners back from last year and a solid team of other athletes ready to crack the varsity line-up, the Warriors could finish near the top of the Upper Iowa Conference in 2022.
Leading the way are Michael Wenthold and Glenna Munuswamy.
Big names
With just one returning letter winner in 2021, the Warriors looked to untested athletes to fill the varsity roster. Leading the way was senior letter winner Brandon Frana, along with Logan Baumler. A host of juniors and sophomores looked to fill the big shoes that were left empty.
UIC teams converged on the South Winn Golf and Country Club for the league tournament in May with North Fayette Valley running away with the title. The Warriors ended the day four strokes out of second with 376 behind runner-up Clayton Ridge. Sophomore Carson Wenthold and Frana garnered all-conference honors. Wenthold concluded the 18-rounds with a pair of 45 rounds to tie for sixth place, while Frana was in a three-way tie for eighth place with a 91 total.
When it came to the postseason, the Warriors wrapped up the season at sectionals, finishing fourth with a 359. C. Wenthold carved out an 82 (43-39 rounds) to earn medalist honors at Silver Springs Golf Course to advance to round two. Also on the course for SW were L. Baumler (44-51-95), Frana (47-49-96), Shaun Klimesh (49-47-97), Jordan Baumler (51-50-101) and Martin Horstman (56-47-103).
At the district competition in Cedar Falls, C. Wenthold roamed Pheasant Ridge Golf Course to the tune of a 14th place finish with a final tally of 90.
Strong team
Besides losing a pair of seniors, South Winn will also be without C. Wenthold this season due to a shoulder injury that caused him to have surgery.
“We will need to replace some top-level talent. Losing Carson (Wenthold) to an injury is a big deal and it will be difficult to find a replacement. We will need to see some program-wide improvements in order to accommodate for the personnel losses,” said the co-coaches.
While the losses will hurt, the coaches are excited about the team they have this year with numbers good and overall depth.
“We should have a number of players competing for varsity spots and pushing one another. There is a lot of depth down the ranks and I think that will make us better in the long run,” noted Coach Wenthold.
Leading the way will be the trio of Shaun Klimesh, Martin Horstman and Jordan Baumler, all letter winners from last year.
Get in shape
The coaches believe North Fayette Valley and Clayton Ridge will be pushing for the top spot in the conference.
“If we play well, we can finish in the top third of the conference as well,” said Coach Wenthold. “We need to replace some talent at the top, but if we can get production and competition down the ranks, we should have a team that will be very competitive within the conference.”
However, weather could cause trouble and allow anyone to win the title.
The Warriors are scheduled to open the season Tuesday, April 5, at Waukon, beginning at 4 p.m.
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