Just the right numbers for ML boys' golf

Expect continued improvement for the Medical Lake boys’ golf team, despite as of mid-March having not swung a club in competition.

That’s the view of head coach Jim Mason as he observed a recent team practice at The Fairways Golf Course.

Medical Lake’s first Northeast A League match was March 27 at Deer Park where they finished fourth behind Colville’s 459 with a team score of 498.

Brendan Petro was the top individual for the Cardinals, shooting an 89, good for a tie for sixth.

What Mason does know is that two experienced performers from 2016 return in Petro and Logan Dianda.

Petro (pronounced Pee-tro), is a senior and state qualifier. “I expect him to be in the low 80s this year,” Mason said. “He’s really stroking the ball well this early in the season and picking up where he left off last year.”

Dianda, a sophomore, is Mason’s No. 2 player at this point.

“Last year he started out on JV (junior varsity) but he’s one of those kids who lives on the course,” Mason said, adding he sometimes has to drag Dianda off the course and quit practicing. “They all have that work ethic,” Mason added.

Senior Michael O’Brien “Is hitting the ball real well,” Mason said. Along with Robert Fisher, another senior, those are the core group of the team.

This year’s team has 16 boys, a much more manageable number than the 35 from 2016. Last year’s turnout was too large a number, but Mason praised The Fairways — the Cardinals’ home course — who graciously accommodates the teams.

“Sixteen’s sort of a nice workable number,” he said.

With the smaller turnout, Mason has been able to tailor practice to get in more instruction and coaching. Fridays are set aside for varsity-only practice in order to dedicate teaching time to that group, Mason explained.

The remaining team members offer some promise for the future. There’s s good mixture of grades, which ought to help the program down the line, Mason said.

“I’ve got three or four freshmen who are going to be pretty good down the line, if they’ll stick with it,” Mason said.

Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.