Sartell boys golf has high section expectations after setting records and winning CLC

Sartell-St. Stephen junior Lance Hamak didn’t know the Central Lakes Conference boys golf championship would be decided by his birdie putt on the 18th hole, but when it went in, the Sabres's score of 599 was one less than Alexandria’s.

Coach Jason Huschle said he was watching the scores update in the app during the putt Tuesday at Pebble Lake Golf Course.

“It came down to the wire,” he said. “When you win by one after 36 holes, every stroke matters.”

Sauk Rapids-Rice scored 653, coming in sixth, ROCORI (698) placed seventh and the St. Cloud Crush (726) combined team placed eighth.

It was Sartell’s first-ever Central Lakes Conference boys golf championship. Alexandria has won six of the last 10 conference titles, including three consecutively dating back to 2019 (the 2020 season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic).

Hamak tied for second overall, shooting 147 between the first day at Rich Spring Golf Course and his title-winning round, when he shot a 66.

But, all year the Sabres have felt like they had a shot at knocking the Cardinals off in the Section 8-3A tournament, which is Tuesday and Wednesday at Rich Spring Golf Club. The CLC championship affirms those thoughts and the grind of the season.

The week before the conference meet, Hamak shot a school record 65 at Alexandria’s invitational at Alexandria Golf Club, clearing the field by five strokes. His round included three birdies on the front nine before a three-hole stretch where Hamak went four-under. He birdied 10 and 11 and eagled 12. Only a bogey on 15 marred the scorecard.

Hamak is the team’s No. 1, and is part of a core returning group consisting of senior Jack Schmitz, and sophomores Carson Andel and Sam Lunde. Andel made the state meet last year and he and Hamak were named all-conference. The bottom half of the lineup has shifted around this season, but solidifying their section roster spots were junior Joseph Sonaglia, and freshmen Jameson Schmitz, Drew Bollinger and Isaac Bergstrom.

Hamak said Alex’s strength is the team’s reliability down the scorecard, a characteristic he attributes to its access to good coaches and facilities. Sonaglia said, that can be Sartell’s strength, too.

“I think all of us know we can shoot low, and we’ve had a couple of young guys playing good this year,” he said. “I feel like Alex just has six solid guys that can go low and it feels nice to have six guys this year that we can depend on if you don’t have a good day.”

They and their teammates said it comes down to playing well consistently and shaking off bad holes.

Other than Hamak, four other Sabres finished this season with postseason honors. Jack Schmitz, Andel and Lunde were all-conference and Jameson Schmitz was honorable mention.

Huschle said not only do the guys on the team constantly compete and play games with each other, but they also feel comfortable asking for help and discussing ways to improve their game.

“It's very individual when you’re on the course, but the camaraderie with them after meets, before meets and practicing together all the time — like, (May 24) after we won I stopped out (at Blackberry Ridge Golf Club) to check tee times and I had eight guys on the range putting in more work on their off day because they enjoy the game.”

He said the practice had improved the Sabres’ short game especially, working on chips and getting up and down. Early in the season, it was “tough to practice” because of the late winter.

Jack Schmitz said it was “natural” to want to hang out with the team when they’re all friends.

The team has broken the school's low-round record numerous times this year It started the season at 305 and currently stands at 289, which the Sabres scored May 3 at Cragun’s Legacy Courses in Brainerd.

Sartell will have to face the state-ranked Alexandria Cardinals again at the Section 8-3A meet May 30-31 at Rich Spring Golf Course. Moorhead, Brainerd and Willmar will also compete for the two team state-qualifying spots. Any golfer within 10 strokes of the leader will go as an individual. The rest of the teams in the section are Becker, Bemidji, Buffalo, Detroit Lakes, Sauk Rapids-Rice and the St. Cloud Crush.

“We have confidence that we can compete with them and beat them in a 36-hole meet, but that doesn’t just happen again,” Hulsche said. “We’ve got to keep our heads down and keep doing what we’re doing.”

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Sartell boys golf has high section expectations after winning CLC