EM golfers seeing further success, play two rounds at Whitetail

By Cara L. Dempski

COLFAX — Days after slipping under the 200 mark for the first time in 2017, Brandon Powell’s Elk Mound golfers did it again at the Whitetail Golf Club a week ago Monday.

The Mounders went to the home course they share with Colfax for a round of Dunn-St. Croix golf April 24, and again dipped under 200 strokes, finishing with 195 and in fifth place out of six teams. 

Coach Powell is seeing some improvement in Elk Mound’s mental game. 

He said the team is starting to realize what hurts it most is not a whole round, but one bad hole. The Mounder coach would like to see his team have a “short memory” and shake off one bad shot so it does not impact the strokes that follow, which leads to big numbers.

Powell thinks the Mounder team will be able to capitalize on what they are learning in the early season.

“These kids are as motivated as I have ever seen them,” Powell explained. “Belief is starting to become a power tool.”

Jameson Rubenzer again led Elk Mound, completing his round in 44 strokes. The senior tied for fourth place with Glenwood City’s Collin Schone, Julia Hayden of Durand, and Spring Valley golfer Zach Boisen. Rubenzer made par on the seventh and eighth holes.

Maxwell Marquardt and Nathaniel Schreiber tied with 49 shots. Marquardt shot par on the first and eighth holes, Schreiber stayed within one or two shots of par on all nine. Dillon McLaughlin completed the round with 53 shots, and Colton Ward was right behind him with 54.

Mondovi won its first conference meet of the season knocking off league-leader Spring Valley by three strokes – 173 to 176.

Spring Valley’s Tyler Leach top the individual standings as he again took medalist honors with a score of 34, besting runner-up Gaarret Gifford of Mondovi by three shots.

Poor weather conditions continued to frustrate the schedule makers as the annual 18-hole Whitetail Classic was postponed last Wednesday, April 26 as was Monday’s (May 1) conference meet in Durand. The Whitetail Classic has been rescheduled for next Wednesday, May 10 while the Durand meet is set to take place this Friday, May 5. The Mounder golfers are also scheduled to play in Spring Valley Thursday, May 4 and at Mondovi on Monday, May 8.

TEAM RESULTS: 1. Mondovi 173, 2. Spring Valley 176, 3. Durand 177, 4. Glenwood City 188, 5. Elk Mound 195, 6. Colfax 233