Perfect leader

Dickinson Trinity senior Nathaniel Knopik only needed one golf outing before he was hooked.

When his grandfather took him golfing after his third-grade year, Knopik made the course his second home.

Knopik has flourished on the course. He has been playing at the varsity level since his seventh-grade year and has been an important asset to the Trinity golf program.

"Even since I went golfing for the first time, I've been dedicated to get better every day," Knopik said. "That's just been my goal -- to get better."

During his six years as a varsity golfer, Knopik has won the Region 5 title once in 2011 at Prairie West Golf Course in Mandan.

Knopik returns to Prairie West for his final Class B state boys golf tournament beginning at 8 a.m. today.

Yet, he has more than just individual aspirations on his mind. He wants to close out his high school career with a team championship.

"I really feel that we can win state this year," Knopik said. "That would be a really great way to end my high school career."

On that thought, the Titans have won every tournament this season, but many of the golfers on the team feel like they haven't put together a full round.

Nonetheless, Trinity sophomore Connor Friske said the team can't complain.

"I feel like we could be doing better, but you really can't complain when you haven't lost a meet," Friske said.

For Trinity's second-year head coach Tyler Reisenauer, Knopik has been like another coach on the course. Reisenauer said Knopik has been invaluable to the team's success this season.

"Nathaniel is the perfect leader," Reisenauer said. "He takes the initiative to help the guys out. If I'm not there, he takes everybody under his wing.

"He is experienced more than most high school golfers. (The other golfers on the team) have really learned from his prior experiences."

Knopik knows how important his teammates have been throughout his entire varsity career. The senior has had the ability to learn from many players that have gone through the Trinity golf program.

One player that Knopik feels helped increase his skill level was former Trinity golfer Lance Pender, the team's lone senior last year. Knopik and Pender had been teammates for five years.

"I've had a bunch of teammates in the past and the biggest one I've learned from was Lance," Knopik said. "He made varsity in his seventh-grade year and we've been teammates up until this year. We became really good friends and I learned a lot from him."

Knopik is trying to instill the same level of senior leadership in the younger players this season. The Titans' varsity roster is mostly made up of underclassmen.

"Even (Kari Jahner, Trinity's assistant golf coach) said she's going to miss me next year, because I kind of organize things and get the team together sometimes," Knopik said. "Even if we don't have anything going on that day, I'll call the guys up to do something."

Those underclassmen have seen Knopik's ability to include them in everything.

"(Nathaniel) includes everybody," Friske said. "If he's going out to golf, he's calling everyone. He doesn't pick favorites. I think that's part of our success, is he really pushes us to become better and better every day."