The Bearcat golf team competed at the Minneapolis meet April 11. The team continues to show improvement not only as individuals, but as a team as a whole.

Junior Sam Karst shot a score of 122 to put him in 16th place. Tying for 18th place, junior Avery Holecek and sophomore Billy Duncan shot 128.

Senior Caylee Hammel placed 21st with a score of 144. This is Hammel’s first year going out for golf. She enjoys participating in the sport, and said it brings her back to her younger years of playing with her father.

“I decided to play this year as a respect to my dad for teaching me when I was younger,” Hammel said. “Being able to wind down playing golf after school is what I enjoy most because it’s a nice stress reliever.”

Hammel was followed close behind by senior Sarah Maxwell who scored 146 to put her in 22nd place. Maxwell played her sophomore year, but did not go out last year. She was excited to get back at it this season.

“I think I enjoy the challenge,” Maxwell said. “You’re always looking to do better than you did before or near your PR.”

While the Cats saw success on the course, it was not a simple task. They had to face harsh weather conditions.

“Dry course conditions and high winds have made the first few tournaments difficult,” Head Coach Darin Holecek said.

Working to overcome this adversity will assist the team through struggles in future meets. They will not only gain knowledge and improve in their ability to perform on the course, but Coach Holecek believes there are lots of friendships made while playing the sport.

“Team members are gaining experience that will pay off in the future,” he said. “All the team members are working hard to improve not only their scores, but knowledge of golf etiquette, along with making long lastingrelationships with players from other schools.”