Hayfield trio has been strong on the golf course
HAYFIELD — The Hayfield golf team is not high on numbers, but it was big on results this season.
The Vikings had eight golfers on their boys team that took second at the Section 1A meet, and two of them are going to the state meet, and the girls team has one golfer and she is going to state.
Senior Trevor Anderson, sophomore Brady Becker and Samantha Dahlen will all be golfing at the Class ‘A’ state meet in Pebble Creek Golf Course in Becker, Minn. June 11 and 12, but how they each got to state is a different story for all three.
“Trevor is a wonderful leader. He makes everyone around him better,” Hayfield head golf coach Lisa Talcott said. “Brady is confident and enthusiastic and he works hard. Sam is kind of all over the place, but she makes it work.”
Anderson, who just started golfing competitively with the high school team in his sophomore season, has made some big strides in three years. He’ll also be competing in his second state tournament of the year. Anderson was a starting shooting guard on the Vikings boys basketball team that went to state this past winter.
“This year has been unreal,” Anderson said. “A couple of dreams came true and it’s been an amazing year so far.”
Anderson had always golfed casually, but it wasn’t until The Oaks Golf Course’s golf pro Tom Vizina told him to join the high school team, then he began to take the sport seriously.
Anderson nearly made the state meet as a sophomore but he missed out on the Section 1A meet last season. Over last summer Anderson made a goal to shoot a 74 and he shot as low as a 73.
“I’ve put in a lot of work. I didn’t have a long run, but it’s nice to get there,” Anderson said. “It’s so different to play competitive golf than to just be out with your buddies. The improvement I’ve made has been crazy.”
Becker learned the game of golf by playing with his grandpa every day over the summer and all of those days in the sun paid off as Becker tied for first place in the Section 1A meet this season after finishing in 41st place at state as a freshman.
Becker’s early success left him feeling pretty good heading into this season and now he’s hoping for a top-20 finish at state.
“I was way more confident this year. It was a better year,” Becker said. “If I shoot high 70s both days at state, I’ll be really happy. I’m just going to try and chip it tight and get one putt.”
Dahlen is picking up on a new family tradition as she watched her older sister, Kasey take 44th at state last year and now she’ll be playing at state herself.
Dahlen was able to watch Kasey play at state and she has gotten some advice from her older sister.
“I’ve talked to my sister about it and she just told me to go do what I can and have fun,” Dahlen said.
Dahlen had hoped to do better in the Section 1A meet, but a wet course kept a lot of the scores higher than normal. She was one of the last golfers to find out she qualified for state at the section meet and it was a relief for her name.
Before Dahlen gets to the state meet, she’ll be going on her class trip to Washington, D.C. But that won’t keep her from thinking about golf.
“I’m bringing my putter and a ball with. I think I’ll be all right and I’m not worried,” Dahlen said. “I want to play a good round.”
Hayfield senior golfer Parker Jacobson was selected to the Academic All-State team this past season as well.