Building on Boerboom

Commitment.

It’s a word coaches hang their hat on. But it’s also a word some players only talk about.

But when a player commits himself to his sport and works hard to perfect his trade, the word “commitment,” is more than a word, it’s an attitude.

Nolan Boerboom committed to golf last year. And it paid off with a trip to the state tournament, a 37th place finish and two-day golf score of 172. Injuries piled up on him for a couple of years, slowing his natural progress.

Then, he began to call the golf course home, built a stronger body and as a freshman took total leadership of the Viking boys’ golf team.

Now, as a sophomore, he stands in the archway of leading an experienced squad — and maybe this time, just maybe, he can lead the whole team back to Becker and the state tournament.

“This team has a good chance,” said Coach Greg Gile. With Boerboom’s leadership, and a natural progression of improvement, it’s not such a tall order.

Senior Tristan Sorensen battled through a mysterious physical ailment a year ago, then pulled it all together and individually qualified for the Section 5A tournament.

He didn’t make it to state, but he made a statement that he’d improved and may be ready for the next step.

Sorensen has been golfing since the seventh grade and he feels his best part of his game is “chipping.” “Nolan Boerboom has the one state golf appearance plus one all-conference selection with a scoring average of 43.1,” said Coach Gile.

Standing on the cusp of success are seniors TJ Esping and Tyler Myhre.

Both had “up and down” seasons a year ago. So consistency could be a factor in this team’s success. Esping averaged 49.9 strokes per nine holes and Myhre 48.4 a year ago.

Another senior, Lucas Bot, scored 49.6 as an average. Bot has been on the team for three years and his strong suit is his driver. Esping has golfed since the seventh grade.

Coach Gile indicated he may have a “coach tag along with Esping,” to help him gain consistency. “He has the tools,” the coach said.

Senior Lucas Bot also had some up and down times and could help the squad.

As for Myhre, “The short game” is his best skill. At times it was Mitchell Rost who led the team during regular season meets.

If he remains solid and even improves from last year, that could be another cog in an ever-improving Viking boys’ squad.

Rost burst through as a starting lineman for the state champion Vikings football team and he also played basketball. So he’s honed his competitive edge and is heading for even more success.

Rost’s average score last year was 46.1 and Tristan Sorensen’s was 50.

Eighth grader Cole Myhre and freshman Chase Differding will also have a chance to see some varsity time this year. “Starting positions for the varsity boys will be very competitive.

They have a lot of potential but need two more starters to bring their scores into the low 40’s,” said Coach Gile. “To be competitive we will need team scores in the 160’s.

The boys have a solid work ethic which means anything is possible,” he added.