Men's outlook

Missing out on the NAIA National Tournament last season is fueling the Lewis-Clark State College men’s golf team on its mission to get back to the big stage to cap its 2012-13 season.

Warrior coach Paul Thompson, in his 11th year with the program, says his team is deeper and more mature than the one that skidded to a tough finish and finished outside of the NAIA Top 25 poll.

James Molner, a senior from Longview, Wash. and the Community Colleges of Spokane, is back to anchor the Warrior lineup as a senior after missing his junior campaign with eligibility issues.

“He was on the team that finished fifth in the country (in 2010), and we want to get back at that level or better,” Thompson said. “It’s nice to have him back, and he’s been playing at 1 or 2-under par.”

Drew Reinland, a junior from College Place, Wash.  and Walla Walla High School, held down the No. 1 spot in Molner’s absence last season, and those two should be interchangeable atop the Warrior lineup to begin 2012.

Alongside Molner and Reinland, Thompson hopes to fill out the lineup with a mix of experience and youth.

James Rooney is the other senior on the team, and will provide a steady, consistent game for the Warriors.

Thompson is excited about a pair of junior college transfers who both hail from the Caldwell area – junior Bret Hogg and sophomore Danny Torres.

Both are in their early 20s, Thompson said, and bring with them the physical and emotional maturity of more seasoned players.

“Danny is about 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds,” Thompson said. “He’s a long hitter that we really think is going to help us.”

Joel Christensen, one of the three incoming freshmen recruited by Thompson, is another long hitter, and Helena, Mont., native Aiden Clark is polished for a young golfer.

The wildcard among the newcomers is Rylee Iacolucci, who has impressed Thompson despite his diminutive stature.

“I wasn’t sure what I had gotten myself into until I saw him swing. He has one of the most gorgeous swings I’ve ever seen. We think he’s going to give us consistent numbers every time out,” Thompson said.

To reward his players for putting in so much off-season work, Thompson is putting together an Oct. 9 fundraiser at Clarkston Country Club that will send the entire Warrior roster to the Desert Classic in Las Vegas to kick off the spring season.

Overall, Thompson believes the team he’ll put out for the Warriors’ first Frontier Conference meet of the season in Butte, Mont. will be better than the one that finished league play 25th in the nation last season.

Thompson expects Rocky Mountain to be the chief rival for the Warriors on their quest for a league title.

“We feel that we’re stronger and deeper than we were a year ago,” Thompson said. “We were really only three guys deep. You need four and it’s really nice to have five. Our kids were playing every day this summer and I see no reason why we can’t win the league and get to nationals.”

Women's Outlook

On the women’s side, the Warriors return their top four players from a squad that reached the Frontier Conference semifinals last season and was the highest-ranked team in the NAIA not to qualify for nationals.

Thompson has added four freshmen to provide depth, and is pleased with the ability of all of his players to hit with consistent length off the tee, even into wind and cold weather.

“It’s something we really need,” he said. “In the past, some of our girls weren’t strong enough to get through the ball in the cold weather, and we’d slide away. These girls are committed to a workout program on their own and have gotten a lot stronger.”

Juniors Heather Bruce, Brooke Dagner and Idah Whisenant were all No. 1 players for stretches last season, and senior Kelsey Haycock was a valuable cog as well.

Add sophomore Paige Blackburn to a quartet of talented freshmen, and it may equal a Frontier Conference championship for the Warriors.

Thompson said that Karina Davila, from Córdoba, Mexico is also ready to step in and help the team immediately.

“She’s a four or five handicap, and we feel like she’s going to fill that void that we needed,” he said.

Trista Webb from Tacoma, Wash., (Stadium High School), Jordan Wyrick from King’s High School in Shoreline, Wash., and Morgan Scott out of Columbus (Mont.) High School, will compete for playing time as well.

“The freshmen are mid-80s shooters right now and occasionally get into the 70s,” Thompson said. “We think we’ll have a deeper lineup this year.”

2011-12 outlooks

2010-11 outlooks

2009-10 outlooks

2008-09 outlooks