Park High’s girls golf team will have its top two varsity players from two seasons ago back in the fold this spring to lead the Wolfpack.

Returning are senior team leaders Carissa Oberding and Emily Waldo.

“We had four seniors last year and would have had a really nice team,” said Park coach Bay Shock. “This year’s there’s a lot of new faces trying for the varsity. The third, fourth, fifth and sixth spots are wide open.”

Bay said that for many members of the team, this spring will be time to learn the game.

“It will be learning and teaching year,” Shock said. “We’ve got some ideas who might be able to play at three, four, five and six. One and two have been there since seventh grade. We want to encourage the ones who haven’t played much. We won’t put them in position with the big hitters.”

Covid restrictions for the high school golf season are still evolving, Shock said. . At present restrictions limit practice and there’s no congregating of players allowed.

“At least we’re out there,” Shock noted.

Park opens the season Monday, April 12, at Tanners Brooks Golf Course in Forest Lake. The Wolfpack will host a conference meet Thursday, April 22, at River Oaks Golf Course in Cottage Grove.

Park boys’ golf

Park’s boys’ golf team welcomes back its third-fourth and fifth golfers from two seasons ago as the Wolfpack return to the links this spring.

Returning to lead the Wolfpack are seniors Dalton Anderson, Cooper Hein and Nick Lemire.

“It’s a little different this season, usually I know what I have,” said boys head coach Chad Salay. “It’s kind of like being back to year one. I haven’t coached them in two years. It’s a brand new team.”

Park lost just one senior from last year’s season that never was, so there’s plenty of experience on the team this spring.

“We do have some guys who played a ton of golf last summer,”” Salay said. “We’ll benefit from having that experience back. I know Dalton and Cooper played a lot last (summer).”

Salay declined to predict where the Wolfpack might finish in the conference this season.

“I think the conference is so hard,” he said. “If we can be in the top half of the conference we’ll be doing good. We can send two to three teams to state from this conference.”

Covid restrictions for the golfers include wearing masks during practice and limiting the number of players and teams at meets and limiting regional meets. Masks will not be required during meets Park opens the varsity season Monday morning, April 12, in a conference team meet at Prestwick Golf Course in Woodbury. That meet is also the closest the Wolfpack will have to a home meet this season.