All-Missota Conference honorable mention in 2010
If the Tigers are to improve on last season's sixth place finish in the Missota Conference, they will have to do so on the backs of the players who put in the course time over the off-season.
"We lost to Northfield by a point for fifth place last season," Tiger coach Jon Holmes said, "but the four teams above that will be tough to catch and newcomers Chanhassen and Chaska should be tough. too. The Missota will be strong from top to bottom."
Holmes lost only one regular from last spring and returns a solid group of 10 letterwinners for the fight for the six spots in the varsity lineup.
Included among the letterwinners are seniors Mike Dahled, Cooper Loew, Trevor Hockert and Matt Provost and juniors Tommy May, Mitch Reed, Ryan Kelly, Jake Hanson, Victor Simones and Tony Lalani.
Senior Kyle Olson and sophomore Kevin Olund, both staples on last year's junior varsity team that finished third in the Missota, also figure to be in the hunt for varsity playing time.
May earned all-Missota Conference honorable mention last spring and was the only Tiger to advance to the second round of play in the Section 1AA tournament.
"This year we will take aim at getting a few more individuals into that second round and perhaps playing for team honors on both days," Holmes said.
Because the weather has been anything but spring-like Holmes may not be able to judge his talent on the course until after the first scheduled meet on April 11.
"Many of these boys logged hours on the course this summer," he said, "and have hopefully come back ready to fire lower numbers."
Holmes will handle the varsity coaching duties with his father, former Tiger girls golf coach Terry Holmes, guidng the junior varsity squad. Tiger boys swimming and diving coach Ryan Hamen will work with the middle school players.
