Cyclones tee-off in triangular
The HCHS Cyclones boys golf team has been taking advantage of the warmer weather, practicing at the Harlan Golf & Country Club preparing for the upcoming season.
“The weather is breaking and getting a little nicer,” said Cyclone Head Coach Chad Swanson. “We’re definitely itching to get going for sure. The courses are starting to green up a little bit.”
Swanson said the team has been getting some holes in.
“The last couple of days we’ve had some groups rotate on the practice greens, working on short irons and chipping, working through 2-3 holes,” he said. “Not a lot of putting with the greens bumpy and choppy. They haven’t been cleaned or mowed yet. That’ll happen in the next week, and we’ll put some emphasis on the short game.”
Last season, the Cyclones finished second with 178 strokes in a triangular against Heartland Christian and Lewis Central, along with a seventh place finish with 331 strokes at the Hawkeye Ten Meet.
Returning golfer Jonas Reynolds finished last season with 40 strokes on a 9-hole course and 79 strokes on an 18-hole course.
“We’ll definitely expect a lot out of our returning golfers,” Swanson said. “We have high expectations for guys like Jonas Reynolds, who has kind of been in my top two for his freshman and sophomore year. As a junior, we expect him to step up for sure. Along with him, we have Owen Neve. He’s put in some time. We expect things from him as well. We have a lot of varsity experience.”
Swanson said some courses are challenging each season, including Majestic Hills in Denison.
“It could be our district site,” he said. “That’s a course that’s fairly daunting and hilly, and is a tough course. Atlantic and Carroll’s country club our courses that we end up for districts on once in a while. Our own country club is only a 9-hole course, but it is known for being one of the tougher courses to score on.”
The Cyclones will have their first match in a triangular at Manning Manilla Golf Course against Underwood and IKM-Manning April 7.
“We picked that up since Lewis Central has moved up to 4A,” Swanson said. “We’ll be playing a 3A schedule.”
