The girls will be returning the same six varsity golfers from last season, including top golfers Katherine Zelaya and Leslie Zarling. Zelaya and Zarling each had strong campaigns for Fairmont this past spring, finishing the season three and four strokes away from qualifying for the Class AA Individual State Championships.

Fairmont girls shot their lowest round of the season during the second day of these sections after firing a 378.

Carly Gustafson is another pin-seeker coming back after having some high points last year. Her score of 98 in the Big South Conference Championship was good for 8th place individually. Zelaya, Zarling and Gustafson earned All-Conference honors, while the Cardinals, as a team, placed second behind Marshall.

Joslyn Meyer, Ingrid Edman and Kailyn Miller round off the returning six golfers. Having this much experience returning has only been a positive for Fairmont girls’ golf head coach Dylan Post, who says last spring’s season will pave the way for future success.

Photo by Jake Olson: Front row (left to right): Caleb Meyer, Tyson McKean, Jackson Henning, Brayden Pooley, Lucas Kotewa, Second row: Anthony Stegge, Hudson McKean, Jalin Jackson, Ryan Szafryk, Mack Anderson, Joaquin Fuentes. Third row: Coach, Bill Brooks Josh Soelter, Luke Haefner, Noah Bettin, Aaron Becker, Issac Laidig, Dane Breitbarth, Aaris White. Absent: Christian Selbrade and Klay Beemer.

“We talked about it all last year, that every meet we go to, it’s great, but then we know the next year will only be better,” Post said. “Same kids, same girls coming back, and they know the courses we are playing and what to expect.”

On the boys’ side of things, head coach Billy Brooks is in a similar situation as Post, having the luxury of bringing back four of his top six golfers. Macklain Anderson is vying for a strong season after a handful of impressive performances in the Big South Championship and the Section 3AA Tournament, scoring an 88 and 92 while placing first on the team.

While Brooks will be without the senior leadership of Harmon Schrunk and Tyler Heckman, the other three returners and additions to the team should balance things out. Klay Beemer, Hudson McKean and Jalin Jackson each had time inside the varsity roster. Brooks said each golfer coming back should be poised to improve after an offseason summer of practice.

“A lot of kids took the initiative to go out and practice a lot this past summer,” Brooks said. “Definitely expecting better scores as a team.”

The overall goals of Post, Brooks and the Fairmont Golf Association have been to continue growing the game inside the community. The addition of so many athletes on the roster, especially for the boys, has shown positive momentum in that direction.

Even if potentially interested individuals have little to no experience swinging a club, the high school teams have made it their goal to get them in the program and deliver a satisfying experience.

“I know we’ve had a couple of girls join who haven’t golfed before, so through our association, we gave them a set of clubs so they can play,” Post said. “That’s our goal. If you have kids who are interested in golf but can’t afford a new set of clubs, we will try to give them a set. …Those kids are getting into golf, hopefully enjoying it, and keep coming back.”