Despite having its first true practice on Tuesday, the Dickinson Trinity boys golf team has already won four tournaments and has three state qualifiers this season.
Needless to say, the Titans are happy with the start of the season.
Trinity is looking forward to its first home tournament at 9 a.m. today at Heart River Golf Course.
"We're pretty pleased with the start of the season," Trinity head coach Tyler Reisenauer said. "With no golf course time, no range time, the guys are going out there and using what they did last year to play some good golf."
The early parts of the golf season were marred by a pair of April snowstorms.
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However, since Trinity was able to step onto a course to compete for the first time, the team hasn't skipped a beat.
The Titans have won the first four tournaments of the season and all have been by wide margins. Trinity's team score has been an average of more than 10 strokes better than the runner-up team.
"I'm actually kind of surprised," Trinity senior Nathaniel Knopik said. "I feel really good about our team right now, even though it's the beginning of the year. We've been playing pretty well."
Trinity's three state qualifiers are senior Nathaniel Knopik, and freshmen Willy Jahner and Jaret Lee. The Titans also have sophomore Connor Friske and senior Hunter Jerome, who've finished in the top 10 of tournaments this season.
"A lot of these guys are fortunate to play a lot of golf during the summer, which has really helped us in the season," Reisenauer said. "They have that tournament experience."
Knopik added: "Just about every tournament, we've had four in the top 10. It's pretty consistent. I feel with four players shooting in the 70s that definitely a state team right there."
Lee, who started playing varsity in the latter part of the 2012 season, said having state-tournament and regular-season experience has been a huge plus.
With shooting a state-qualifying score of 77 in Beulah on Friday, the freshman said a little weight has been lifted off his shoulders.
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"My golf game this year has been OK, but I know it could have been better," Lee said with smile. "I feel like getting varsity experience last year really helped me. I'm not as nervous as I was last year.
"Qualifying for the state tournament has taken a lot of pressure off and I'm just able to go out and golf."
Jahner and Knopik have traded medalist honors in the four tournaments.
Knopik feels the team has made strides throughout the season.
"It feels great to have the confidence going into every meet," Knopik said. "I believe we have a good shot of competing for a state title. We just need to pick up the scores a little bit and we have the possibility of doing it."
