The Munising golf teams have a good number of members on their teams. They’ll be led once again by longtime coach Bette Immel, who has been getting the Mustangs ready for the season, despite having limited time on the course.
The boys team won the Skyline Central Conference last year, and 10 of their 14 members return from that team.
“I have very high expectations that we should repeat as the conference champion,” Immel said. “We lost one kid to graduation and we should be able to replace him decent enough, since they only take four of the top five scores, we should be able to be right up in the top again.”
On the boys team will be freshmen Brandon Boyak and Makai Rautanen, sophomore Nolan Connaughton, returning sophomores Hudson Rockhill and Avery Murk, returning juniors Dimitri Balk, Carter Deatsman, Carson Kienitz and Michael Robinson, senior Blake Walther and returning seniors Cody Lincoln, Jasper Polmatier, Jamisen Ake and Robert Johns.
“Our number one golfer last year was Deatsman, so I have big expectations for him this year,” Immel said. “Last year Lincoln was in the top five consistently, (as were) Rockhill and Ake. Walther has not golfed before, but is trying to dual sport with baseball and he is a good golfer, if he can stick with it and golf meets don’t land on the same days as baseball games he would be a good addition to our team.”
While the Mustang boys were able to win the league championship, they didn’t compete as well as Immel would have liked at the U.P. finals. That’s something she hopes can change this season.
“This year I would like to be in the top two in our division, that would be nice,” she said. “I’m hoping that this year we can golf better and repeat as conference champions but also have a good golf day for the U.P. finals. We definitely have the talent to do something.”
On the girls’ side of things, they’ll have six returning golfers and three newcomers.
“I think the best team in the conference for the girls right now is Big Bay de Noc,” Immel said. “I hope to finish in the top half of the conference, that would be a good goal for us.”
On the Lady Mustang roster will be freshman Carissa Deatsman, sophomore Hayden Bayer, junior Tessa Salo, returning juniors Jolie Ake, Lauren Nelson and Cadence Schultz and returning seniors Emmy Crisp, Jailen Hancock and Sabryna Smith.
“Hancock will be one of our leaders this year, she played last year and was one of our better players,” Immel said. “Ake has been consistent, Deatsman is a freshman but she puts a lot of time in her game and she may surprise us as the season goes along. We only have a couple of seniors, so maybe the younger ones can step it up this year and in the U.P. finals, if we could finish in the top five that would be a good goal.”
The Munising boys open the season on Monday at Gladstone. Both teams compete April 29 at Indian Lake Golf Course in Manistique.
“Usually our first match is our first swing of the year, but this year Pictured Real Estate and Virtual Golf donated time for our kids to go there and use the simulator,” Immel said. “That is going to be very helpful when we start having matches because we have actually had time to be swinging the club and working on our form, where in the past you hit the way you hit in the first match and away you went.”
