PAGE 2: SPRING SPORTS 2017 PRESS & DAKOTAN ? PLAIN TALK Gazelles Move Forward After ‘16 Title BY JEREMY HOECK GOLF jeremy.hoeck@yankton.net A new group of leaders will now carry the torch for a Yankton girls’ golf team that is coming off a conference and state championship a year ago. Gone are three members from that Class AA state title squad. Back are three members. And that’s where the Gazelles are looking in 2017: Forward. “It’s definitely going to hurt losing the girls we lost,” said coach Brett Sime, whose team opens the season April 13 in Harrisburg. “We’re just going to try to move on. “The kids are ready to go.” Yankton, which earlier won the Eastern South Dakota Conference (ESD) title, shot two of its best scores of the season to win the state championship. Senior Becky Frick was the Class AA runner-up, while seniors Payton Pierce (19th place) and Ashley VanMeeteren (tie-70th) were also critical members. The leadership roles are now handed over to seniors Linze Cowman (tie-12th) and Darian Tramp (tie-50th), along with freshman Morgan Strahl (tie-14th). “We definitely have big shoes to fill,” Cowman said. “We have younger girls coming up that have been on the team, waiting for their chance. I’m sure they’ve gotten their scores down because they want to prove something to us and to themselves.” Outside of the three state returners, the remaining 15 members of the roster will be trying to work their way into the junior varsity or varsity rotation. Yankton has two other seniors (Brianna Caskey, Haley McDonald), two juniors (Bailey Kortan, Olivia 4/13 4/18 4/20 Harrisburg Inv. (Springview GC) 10 a.m. At Brandon Valley/vs. Brookings 2 p.m. At S.F. Washington/vs. Harrisburg/ vs. Mitchell 1 p.m. 4/24 vs. O’Gorman (Hillcrest) 2:30 p.m. 4/28 vs. Mitchell (Fox Run) 2 p.m. 5/2 at Mitchell/vs. S.F. Lincoln 2 p.m. 5/4 Huron Inv. 10 a.m. 5/5 Yankton Inv. (Hillcrest) 10 a.m. 5/12 Mitchell Inv. (Lakeview) 10:30 a.m. 5/18 Brookings Inv. 10 a.m. 5/25 Brandon Valley Inv. 9:30 a.m. 5/30 ESD (Brandon) 10 a.m. 6/5-6 State (Huron) 9 a.m. who haven’t played a lot of golf, but they’re getting a feel for it,” he said. While some of the scores early in the season may be higher, the hope is that they start to fall by the end of the season. “As we move forward, hopefully we can get some of the girls playing a little better,” Sime said. The Gazelles will have three home events this season, including the Yankton Invite on May 5 at Hillcrest Golf & Country Club. The ESD tournament is May 30 in Brandon, while the Class AA state tournament is June 5-6 in Huron. It’s likely that some of the same teams as last year will be threats for the AA title this year: Sioux Falls O’Gorman (which has finished first or second every year since 2007), Aberdeen Central, Rapid City Stevens and Brookings. On the other hand, last year’s field was senior-laden: Individual finishers 1-2-4-5-67-10 all graduated. Before the Gazelles start thinking about other teams, they’re most concerned with Darian Tramp is one of three returning golfers from Yankpushing each other to get ton’s 2016 state tournament squad. better, Sime said. “Competition only makes you better,” he said. “You Larson), four sophomores Shae Hanson, Tatum Hohenhave to shoot better scores (Abby Becker, Kasey Erickthaner). son, Harlie Hacecky, Ashley The goal early on, accord- to stay on the team, so that’s where I’m hoping we get to.” Muller), three other freshmen ing to Sime, is give those (Josephine Krajewski, Hailey golfers plenty of experience Follow @jhoeck on Twitter Reisner, Peyton Tramp) and to better evaluate where the four seventh graders (Lily pieces fall into place. Diedrichsen, Jillian Eidsness, “We’ve got a lot of girls Late Start To Golf Season Posing Plenty Of Challenges BY JEREMY HOECK jeremy.hoeck@yankton.net Two years ago, Yankton High School girls’ golfers were competing in the South Dakota Class AA State Tournament on May 18-19. Last year, they were competing in their state tournament on June 6-7. Approved by the South Dakota High School Activities Association prior to the 2016 season, the high school girls’ golf seasons were moved back two weeks for various reasons. As a result, that meant the state tournaments were bumped into early June — this year, they will be June 5-6. And not everybody is a fan of the change. “I didn’t like it,” said Yankton coach Brett Sime, whose Gazelles won the AA title last year. “You go too long after school gets out.” This year, for example, the tentative last day of school for YHS students is May 16, and graduation is May 21. That means there will be three weeks between the end of classes and the first day of the state tournament. The pros of moving back the season would include the following: Teams/golfers would avoid weather concerns by playing later and golfers would miss less class time. The cons include the following: Coaches would find it harder to schedule practices, there would be a fear that golfers (especially seniors) would ‘check out’ and that a later season would interfere with summer plans. “It’d be one thing if you were getting done in May, but when you’re getting done two PREMIUM BEST TRANSPORT 1501 Wek Road Yankton, SD 57078 605-665-9202 and a half weeks after school A Look At Area gets out, S.D. Golf Teams it’s hard to keep PAGE 7 the girls together,” Sime said. “It’s hard to have practices.” How difficult is it? Linze Cowman, a senior this year, wasn’t able to get out on a course until the Saturday and Sunday ahead of the state tournament that began on Monday last year. She had been at Girls State the week before state, and had little time to prepare — she also had to miss three days of a basketball camp. “I thought I was going to ALSO Yankton golf coach Brett Sime, right, talks to Darian Tramp during the 2016 South Dakota State Class AA Girls’ Golf Tournament. Sime is one of the opponents to the later golf schedule, which debuted for the spring season last year. GOLF | PAGE 3 Senior Linze Cowman is the top returning finisher for the Gazelles, who won the Class AA girls’ title in 2016. Cowman tied for 12th. Cowman Keeps Herself Busy BY JEREMY HOECK jeremy.hoeck@yankton.net “What’s the full list of everything you’ve been involved in?” That was a question posed to Yankton High School senior Linze Cowman before a preseason golf practice at a local golf course. She smiled. That’s how you know what she’s about to say will take a while. Soccer. Volleyball. Basketball. Golf. National Honor Society. Y-Club. Pioneer Club. Young Republicans. “I also tried out for the One Act Play this year, too,” Cowman said. “That’s not my strong suit, I guess.” While she certainly has a lot going on in her life — between her classwork, her extracurricular activities and becoming a crucial member of Yankton’s soccer and golf teams — Cowman has managed to keep it all in perspective. Academics, she’ll tell you with a straight face, come first. And she means it. “School comes naturally to me, I feel like,” Cowman said. “I can pick things up pretty fast, I guess,” she added, with a smile. Fortunately, too, because she added soccer to her resume last fall. Cowman didn’t play volleyball or basketball — two sports she previously played — during her senior year, but became a valuable piece on defense for the Gazelles’ soccer team (she was an all-conference selection). Golf, though, wasn’t something she was going to give up. “I never considered dropping out of golf,” Cowman said. “It’s just something you can do all your life, and I find that really valuable. “You always have that something to go back to.” Like many high school athletes who excel in the sport, Cowman was introduced to golf at an early age. Her father, Todd, signed her up for First Tee programs, and soon enough, Cowman was hooked. Your Sports Therapy Leader “Don’t Gamble” - Insure With M.T. & R.C. SMITH INSURANCE, INC. 204 W. 4th St., PO Box 1077 Yankton, SD • 605-665-3611 Toll Free: 1-888-665-3611 Fax: 605-665-2560 We’re on your care. team for 605-665-7841 665-1902 2100 Broadway, Yankton Mall Daily Lunch Specials COWMAN | PAGE 3 No appointments necessary. Weekdays: 5 – 9pm Weekends: Noon – 5pm 1104 W. 8th Street, Yankton, SD 57078 www.yanktonmedicalclinic.com Weekdays: 8am – 5pm Saturday: 8:30am – Noon Morgen Square 605.260.5003