Weiser golfers ready to tee off 2020 season

The Weiser High School varsity boys and girls golf teams return a number of experienced players who played in the 3A state championships last year and are looking for another strong year.
 Longtime Weiser coach Jon Lundberg is closing in on 20 years directing the successful golf program at WHS. His goal every spring never changes: win the Snake River Valley Conference and qualify for state.
 The weeks of decent weather since practice started in late February have allowed the team to play at Rolling Hills Golf Course every day.  
 There’s a big difference between teeing off for a practice round of nine holes on the home course and hitting a whiffle ball in the gym because the weather is too bad to get outside.
 “It’s great to be out. It’s great to have a qualifier this early,” Lundberg said. “You can still improve inside. No question, but it’s nice to be outside.”
 Players were qualifying over two days last week at Rolling Hills to see who made the varsity team for the season openers. The top five girls and top five boys qualify weekly based on scores during the season.  
 The season starts for the boys with an 18-hole tournament at Homedale’s River Bend Golf Course on March 11. The girls play a nine-hole tournament on their home course at Rolling Hills on March 16.
 There were 33 kids who came out for golf this year. The big number portends a large JV squad with plenty of future talent to work with.
 “We have a bunch of young ones, and so we’re excited about them and working with them and bringing them along,” Lundberg said.
 The varsity girls lost a few top players to graduation in 2019, including Sara Lundberg, Stella Beams and Sydnee Reyes. Faith Lee was a member of the 2019 varsity girls team that placed second at the 3A state championships and returns for her senior year. Lee has played on two teams that placed second at state.
 She is joined by seniors Lacey Willet and Eileen Froshiesar. Gaby Palmer is a junior who also has experience.
 “So we’ll have three seniors that will anchor that team,” Lundberg.
 The Weiser girls are the perennial defending champions of the Snake River Valley Conference for many years running. The record of conference titles stretched to 17 or 18 years. The Weiser girls placed second in both 2018 and 2019 at the 3A state championships.
 Senior Chris Lee is looking forward to his fourth season on the boys golf team. He is getting excited because his own game is starting to click and the team is coming together. There are teammates who can shoot in the low 40s and mid-40s for nine holes, and those scores will be competitive in the conference.
 “It’s looking really, really good,” he said.
 Two other seniors on the boys team are Kaden Cramer and Justin Estes. All three were on the team last year that qualified at the district tournament by one shot and earned a trip to the 3A state championships. The boys finished in sixth place at state.
 Prior to last year, the boys have been in the middle of the pack in the conference.
 “I feel really good about the boys this year. They are great kids and have some good experience and some good leaders,” Lundberg said. “I’m expecting this team to compete well.”
 Surveying the SRV Conference, Lundberg said Fruitland lost a number of good players to graduation last year and has some young kids coming up. He thinks they will regroup and field competitive teams this year.
 Homedale is going to be there near the top. They will bring back Daniel Uranga for his senior year.
 Lundberg will be assisted this year in coaching the golf teams by Monty Hurd, Larry Lee and Mike Ryan.