The Le Mars Community boys golf team came up three strokes shy of a state tournament bid and had Dylan Susemihl finish as the third-best golfer in the state at the state meet in 2023. The Bulldogs graduated Susemihl, and they are feeling confident heading into 2024. Le Mars head coach Nick Knapp says that confidence comes from having five varsity contributors back off last year’s squad.
The junior to senior year jump has been a big one for Bulldog golfers in the past. Susemihl jumped from an 18-hole adjusted average of 81 down to an adjusted average of 78 from his junior to senior year. With four seniors making that leap this year, Coach Knapp is excited to see the growth of this year’s class.
Le Mars’ senior class of Carter Baumgartner, Cole Brownmiller, Tate Murphy, and Jacob Plueger have been golfing together for a while. They have developed a good bond with each other around the sport of golf and now know what it takes to make some noise late in the season. Coming off an MRAC championship last year, the Bulldogs are looking to try and improve that and get to state. It is somewhere the program has not been at as a team in 25 years.
This year’s MRAC schedule proves to be challenging with the likes of Bishop Heelan, Sergeant Bluff-Luton, and Sioux City East posing tough challenges. The Bulldogs have also scheduled some good out-of-conference challenges. Coach Knapp says when the Bulldogs go to Fort Dodge to compete with some tough teams it will be a great measuring stick.
The Bulldogs will be first in action at home on Monday when they host Sioux City North and West for a triangular. With the guys so far along in development, it has been a fast-moving preseason. Coach Knapp says the guys know what it takes to get the job done, and it now comes down to executing in competition.
Le Mars’ home triangular with North and West will get started at 10:00 AM at Willow Creek Golf Course in Le Mars.
