Halverson was also an all-conference member

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

A pair of section qualifiers will highlight the Frazee Hornet golf team this season. Senior McKenzie Wake and junior Krysten Halverson will lead a large contingent of Frazee golfers to the links—when the weather decides to finally cooperate and shed its snow cover.

In addition to qualifying for the section meet last year, Halverson was also a member of the Heart O’ Lakes Conference team. A total of 26 people are out for golf this season, which features five returning letter winners. In addition to Wake and Halverson, who both qualified for sections last year, seniors Madeline Matejka and Alexis Mack, as well as junior Tayler Walker will return to the Frazee line up.

The Hornets will return an experienced lineup this season as they did not have a senior on their team last year. This will be Matejka’s sixth year on varsity, while Halverson and Mack have been on varsity for five years. 

Some non-letter winners who could make an impact on varsity this year include freshman Emma Wiseman who has transferred to Frazee from Red Lake Falls. Wiseman qualified for the section meet as an eighth grader last year and has a chance to join the varsity lineup this year. 

Other people out for golf this year include 10th grader Olivia Eckre; ninth graders Onalea Maijaja, Gracie Fales, Ella Perala, Liberty Peterson and eighth graders Addison Ratz, Rylee Stock and Kylie Ueke. 

The Hornets also have 12 new golfers to the program this year including: seventh graders Lily Hovland, Madison Krejce, Keela Hanson and Gillian Pope; eighth graders Elizabeth Olson, Madison Boyer, McKinzley Splonskowski, Alayna Pennick, Emersyn Wake and Aliya Mustain and ninth graders Emma Beimert and Lillian Adams.

“We have a total of 26 golfers out this year so I am really excited about the large number of girls out this season,” said head coach David Conzemius.

With so many golfers out for the sport, Conzemius hopes the team continues to improve throughout the season and has some fun along the way.

“Our goals, as always, are to improve and have fun. We would like to finish in the top four in the conference for the team and hopefully have some individuals in the hunt for all conference,” he said. 

Among the conference favorites this year will be defending champion Perham and Hawley. The Yellowjackets feature the defending individual state champion from last year in Mallory Belka. 

Defending section champion Fergus Falls, Perham, Hawley, Park Rapids and Crookston should be among the section favorites this year.