Rockets return their top golfer

Cedar Grove-Belgium returns its top golfer who qualified for sectionals last season.

Senior Brandon Wieberdink will again be expected to lead the Rockets.

The rest of the team is somewhat inexperienced. Five members of the 15-member team played in varsity or junior varsity meets last season, including juniors Brett Mentink, Jacob Luebke, Nick Newkirk and Sophia Larson, and sophomore Austin Kettenhoven.

“After losing three starters to graduation, our team doesn’t have a lot of meet experience so I’m expecting to take some lumps due to their inexperience, but they are a bunch of good young men and women and are willing to learn,” coach Gene Dana said.

Season goals have been established.

“My first goal is to prepare Brandon Wieberdink for a return engagement to sectionals and then a shot at state. And to get my freshmen and sophomores enough meet experience, which will help them in the years to come,” Dana said.

The coach said he expects Kohler, Howards Grove, Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah and Sheboygan Lutheran to be the top teams in the Big East Conference.

“Hopefully, we can surprise some people and be somewhere in the middle of the pack,” he said.

After the season’s first two meets were canceled due to weather, the Rockets are slated to start at famous Whistling Straits, which has hosted three PGA Tournaments, in Sheboygan County on Saturday.