Back on the links: Ponies begin again

t far off, and fall sports is even closer, is Havre Blue Pony golfers back on the links. And with just three practices under their belt by Monday morning, those who make up the Blue Pony varsity teams will start a brand new season.

Havre High golfers, under the direction of head coach Brett Gilman, went to work Thursday, and Saturday’s practice will be the last one before the Ponies travel to Great Falls for the season-opening Great Falls Invitational.

And while the tourney is one of the best in Montana each year, Gilman said it’s a chance for the 10 golfers who make the trip to find out where they’re at, and where they need to go.

“It’s a pretty short preseason for us, only three practices,” Gilman quipped. “And for some of the younger kids, the ones who haven’t been playing much, it’s pretty tough. It’s one of the tougher tournaments we’ll play all year, and we’ll find out who the kids who have been playing and practicing are. But it’s a good way to start the season and to help the kids gauge where they’re at right now.”

The Blue Pony boys have a handful of experienced players, who have put some work in on the course this summer. Havre, which would have finished third at the Class A state tournament last October in Hamilton had it not been for a rule that only allowed divisional qualifying teams to score at state, returns all four players who played in the state tourney field.

That rule has since been changed, but it shouldn’t matter to the Ponies, who will be a Central A and Class A favorite this season. The Ponies are favored because of their talent and experience, with the return of seniors Jerod Boles and Jeff Miller, as well as junior Dustin Haas and Kane Gabrielsen. All four have been to state each year of their high school careers. Miller and Boles were Class A All-State a season ago, while all four of HHS’ top players should contend for those honors this season. And according to Gilman, they’re all interchangeable.

“With the crew we took to state last year all returning, I’m expecting our boys to be in the hunt for trophies, both at divisionals and state,” Gilman said. “That should be the goal.

“They are all four very close as far as how they play. They all shoot pretty much the same scores,” he continued. “So who’s number one or number four is pretty irrelevant with this group. It’s how they do together. And I think they should do very well this season."

A total of 11 boys are out for golf this season, but the Ponies have plenty of experience and depth. Havre lost senior Wyatt Lindbloom from the varsity last season, but juniors Trey Hanson and Aden Passon both have varsity experience and will battle for that full-time role this season. Hondo Owens, Kyle Kirkpatrick, Ryan Bakke, Gavin Mosbrucker, Tucker Carlson and Nic Keller are all upper classmen with experience as well.

Interestingly, the Havre girls have experience, too. The Ponies reached the state tournament as a team last season, even with four first-year golfers in their lineup. All four of those girls are now a year older, and together with experienced seniors Randi Gabrielsen and Payton Howard, Gilman has a strong lineup to work with again.

“Our girls team has a good mix of players,” Gilman said. “We’re a young team overall, but a lot of those younger players already have state tournament experience. And we have some freshmen out with a lot of promise and potential, so it’s good.”

Gabrielsen was Havre’s top scorer a season ago, while Howard, who missed last season with injuries, had a strong sophomore campaign. Add to that Mackenzie Tilleman, Regan Lammers, Grace Litzinger and Jordan Keith, who all played in the 2014 state tourney, and the Pony girls have a great group to build on. Also, the arrival of a freshman class that features Teagan Fee, Kinzee Peterson and Marcee Murphy gives the Pony girls plenty of added depth for not just this season, but for seasons to come.

Of course, Havre’s schedule is also one that certainly helps prepare the Ponies for the postseason, which will see the Central A divisional tournament played at Pine Meadows in Lewistown and the Class A state tourney take place at Sidney Golf Club in Sidney. Havre not only travels to tough courses like Meadowlark Country Club and Eagle Falls in Great Falls, but also Laurel Country Club and Eagle Rock Golf Club in Billings. The Ponies also host a pair of tournaments in Havre, including the Havre Golf Tournament next Thursday at Prairie Farms Golf Course and the Havre Invitational Sept. 5 at Beaver Creek Golf Course.

“Our (players) get exposed to different types of courses,” Gilman said. “The majority of them are nine-hole courses so they see some unique and interesting holes. But they play a lot of courses that really help prepare them for the end of the season. We play at Lewistown every year, and divisionals is there this year so that always helps to know the course like that. But we play a lot of courses that will challenge us and make us better.”

And the challenges start with Monday and Tuesday’s Great Falls Invitational. The Ponies will then return home to host the Havre Golf Tournament next Thursday at Prairie Farms.