2008-2009 Season Outlooks

 

 

Men's Outlook

Looking to take back the title

 

Having won six conference championships in the past nine seasons, including three straight titles from 2005-2007, the Lewis-Clark State College men’s golf team has grown accustom to bringing home the Frontier Conference trophy. However, after just missing its fourth straight title by eight strokes to Rocky Mountain last year, the Warriors now have an even more passionate desire to reclaim the crown. The goal in 2008-2009 is nothing less than to win the conference championship.

 

Leading the way, in his seventh season as head coach, is Paul Thompson. The men have won four titles under his watch, and he is excited about the players he has on his roster this season, “We have a strong group of returning players, and although we lost a couple good ball strikers, we’ve added a couple guys who are just as capable.”

 

The only seniors on the team, Nik Arrenbrecht and Patrick Casabonne will be expected to provide leadership for the younger players, and to continue to be among the top golfers in the conference. Both Arrenbrecht and Casabonne have earned second-team All-Frontier Conference honors during their time at LCSC.

 

LCSC’s junior class features returners Chris Jarrett and Scott Mooney, and newcomer JP Moreno. Both Jarrett and Mooney spent last season battling for spots in the team’s top five, and progressed enough as the season went on to compete with the team at the Region I tournament. Moreno, a recruit from Los Angeles, is expected to compete for a spot in the top five as well.    

 

Thompson especially holds high expectations for sophomore Chris Kneen, who was last year’s Frontier Conference Freshman of the Year and a member of the All-Frontier Conference first team. An all-around consistent player, Kneen is predicted by Thompson to build on his performance from last year.

 

Sophomore Connor McCracken is a transfer from Whitworth University where he earned first-team all-conference honors. Thompson says McCracken should post some good scores, or at least intimidate opposing teams with his 300-plus yard drives. Also a sophomore, Ben House, who will redshirt the fall semester, is expected to bring stability when he joins the team in the spring.

 

Rounding out the roster is Nick Schindler a freshman from Capital High School in Olympia, Wash. Schindler was a first-team all-league selection his senior year.

 

“Ball striking will not be a problem this year,” says Thompson. “However, we need to be able to putt in later rounds to be successful.”

 

The Frontier Conference plays a fall and spring schedule because some Montana golf courses aren’t playable until later in the spring because of the long winter season. This year will feature six conference tournaments, including three in Montana in the fall, and then in Lewiston, Salt Lake City, and Great Falls, Mont., in the spring. The team scores from the six tournaments are added together to determine the conference champion.

 

Thompson believes this year’s team has the potential to accomplish more than ones he has coached in previous years. “This team will be successful because they play within themselves. They know what they want, but are not taking as many risks as they have in the past.”

 

In 2006-2007, LCSC edged Rocky Mountain for the title, but last season Rocky Mountain returned the favor and narrowly came away with the title.

 

 

Women's Outlook

All signs point to a great season

 

Even as last season resulted in the third consecutive trip to the NAIA national tournament for the LCSC women’s golf team, several players and coach Steve Tilden couldn’t help but occasionally let their thoughts wander to the 2008-09 season. LCSC, which placed 19th at the national tournament, had three players with national tournament experience not play last season because of injuries and school work.

 

Now, the three are back and join a strong nucleus of returning players, plus a key newcomer, to form what could be one of the strongest women’s teams in program history.

 

“Every year going in I have real high expectations, but going into this season with this team, I have extra high expectations,” Tilden said. “Seven of them have national tournament experience, which is really going to help us as a team.”

 

Former Frontier Conference Player of the Year Juanita Villa returns for her senior year and is joined by juniors Courtney Shrout and Sue James, and sophomore Alana Norris, all conference award winners from a year ago. Shrout and Villa were named to the first team, while James and Norris were selected to the second team. Norris also was named the Freshman of the Year.

 

They join seniors Katie Fuqua and Chantelle Beveridge, along with sophomore Brittany Wheeler. All three redshirted last season, which allowed them to keep an extra year of eligibility.

 

Also returning is sophomore Jordan Knapp, who missed part of last season after having her tonsils out.

 

The Warriors also welcome freshmen Madeline Jarrett of Portland and Shanna Herman of Orofino, who will redshirt this season. Jarrett is the cousin of LCSC men’s golfer Chris Jarrett and she’s expected to make an immediate impact because she is one of the longest hitters on the team.

 

“I don’t think these girls are going to feel the pressure of this season,” Tilden said. “I think they know how our system works and what it takes to be in the top five on this team.”

 

Rocky Mountain has won the team title with LCSC second during the past two seasons, in part because the Warriors’ slow start in the fall. The conference plays three tournaments in the fall and three in the spring and the combined team score from each tourney decides the champion.

 

“It’s very important for us to get off to a good start in the fall,” Tilden said. “In the past, we’ve always lagged behind Rocky Mountain but this year I think we are going give them a real run.”

 

The Warriors will play host to two tournaments in the spring. The first is the LCSC Invitational on March 16-17 at the Clarkston Golf & Country Club, and the second is LCSC’s home portion of the conference tournament that will be April 13-14 at the Lewiston Golf & Country Club.

“I’m real anxious to see how we stack up,” Tilden said. “I think it’s going to be a good year for us.”