Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor

Don’t tell Joel Hall this, but he believes his girls varsity golf team should improve on last year’s third place standing in the Suburban East Conference as well as their runner-up finish in Section 7AA.

Hall, you see, admits to being slightly superstitious. And even though he’s the one who said, “that means first in the conference and make a run at the section,” he really didn’t want to say it out loud.

But now that it’s out there, what the hey, we might as well let the second-year coach explain exactly why he thinks his golfers could be hoisting a couple of first-place trophies this spring.

“I really think that the players are in place,” he states. “We have as good a chance as any at winning the conference.”

Making life difficult in that quest is a list of schools that starts to expand the longer Hall speaks. At first there are the old reliables of White Bear Lake and Woodbury, but then he adds an improving Roseville squad to the line-up and then finally, Mounds View.

Forest Lake lost only one team member from its 2006 roster and has everyone returning who competed at last year’s section meet. So no matter who the Bears, Royals, Raiders and Mustangs enter in their top six, the Rangers have people like senior captain Nicole Tetrault, juniors Emily Wislicenus and Cassi Carpenter, sophomore Mallory Messin, and freshmen Hannah Lawson, Betsy Kelly and Laura Pelton to draw from.

“We’re going to be pretty deep, but we’re also going to be pretty young, which is a really good combination to have,” Hall says

Tetrault is the only captain, and after watching her deal with a nagging wrist injury last season, Hall is excited to see her dedication pay off in 2007.

“The amount she worked in the off-season, and just how much effort she puts into anything she does, she’s going to have some success this year,” he says. “I would imagine that she’s going to be one of the top contributors.”

The veteran Wislicenus returns, and brings her steady play to the Rangers. “She goes about her business on the golf course with kind of a calm, confidence about it,” observes Hall. “She’s kind of unique that way.”

Some of Forest Lake’s depth and youth is provided by Messin. As a freshman last year she took fourth in the SEC, and from what her coach has to say, the competition should keep an eye on her.

“She plays a ton in the summer,” Hall says. “She’s getting better and she’s gotten stronger.”

Hall mentions Lawson as another Ranger who spends a significant amount of time on the course, which has led to noticeable improvements in her game. Plug in a player like Pelton along the way, and Hall’s problems aren’t who will be in the top six, but who won’t be.

On the other hand, if there is one position that is most likely locked up, it would be at the top, with Kelly.

Just an 8th grader in ‘06, Kelly was second in the conference, third in the section and 12th in the state.

Yep, as an 8th grader.

Now she’s gotten taller and stronger, and Hall says that only spells trouble for other teams.

“She’s going to be able to hit the ball a lot farther and hopefully still be as accurate.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she made a run at first in the conference,” he says. “Betsy, if she plays consistent like she can, she’s going to turn some heads as a freshman.”

Okay, then. Anything else?

“What I think would be real fun is if Mallory (Messin) and Betsy (Kelly) started to kind of feed off each other,” Hall adds.

“As far as a one-two punch in the conference, I would say those are the best two.”

Which brings us to section play, where if you recall, Hall believes his group can also contend for first place. Grand Rapids is always strong, as is Hibbing, and then there’s Forest Lake who might sneak up and surprise them all.

“I’d like to think we have as good a chance as any,” Hall says again. “It’s looking good. I’m chomping at the bit, ready to get started.”

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