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Three Forks High School golfers, Paige Lien, Ari Judd, Kennedy Rogers, and Claire Van Vleet, were all part of last year's varsity team that finished fourth at state. The four are pictured above after Judd signed a letter of intent to play golf next year in college.
The Three Forks High School Golf team will open the 2024 season on April 4 in Hamilton.
According to Head Coach Aaron Harkins, while the turnout is a little lower than in years past, with six girls and 17 boys, they have a great bunch of student-athletes on the 2024 squad.
On the girl's side, the Wolves will welcome back Ari Judd, Paige Lien, Kennedy Rogers, and Claire Van Vleet.
"All four of those girls played in the state tourney last year, so we are hoping to we can get back there again this year," Harkins said.
For the boys' team, Harkins said there are a handful of returners, led by Devon Long, Hunter Feddes, Carson Woodland, and Carter Allen, who all played in at least one varsity meet in 2023. Harkins added that they also have some younger players, including sophomores Taylor Larson and Tommy Evens, who the coaching staff hopes can be a great asset to the team and fight for a varsity spot.
"Lastly, we have a new player, Trey Miller, who has played varsity golf in the past, and we can't wait to see what he will be able to add to the team," Harkins said.
During the first few tournaments of 2024, Harkins is hoping to see patience from his squad.
"For most of them, it has been a handful of months since they last picked up some clubs so, there is going to be some rust that needs knocked off. I think kids tend to believe they should be able to pick right back up from where they were at the end of last summer, and generally, that is just not the case. I want them to trust the process of practice and preparation and be patient, and hopefully, we can hit our stride near the end of the season with the divisional and state tournaments," he said.
For Harkins and the rest of the coaching staff, the season goals are always the same.
"We want to put our kids in the best position possible at the divisional tournament, so we increase our chances of sending both teams to state. It is hard to say what other teams might have gained or lost as far as players. We also have two new teams in Ennis and Big Sky in our division, but I really think our girls have a great chance at getting back to state, and I know that our boys have it in them, we just need to be able to shoot some good scores when it is needed," he said.
