DARLINGTON - After having a young golf team last year, Darlington is looking forward to some of its returning golfers take the next step with more experience.

"Team scores should improve with the experience that was gained last year," said Darlington coach Rich Westerman, who is entering his seventh year at the helm of the team. "Cole Roelli and Cody Crist should improve with a year's competition behind them."

Two starters back for the Redbirds are junior Cole Roelli and sophomore Cody Crist. Both Roelli and Crist averaged a 52 in nine-hole matches last year and are making steps to improve this spring.

The Darlington boys golf team returns four starters from last year, which finished sixth in the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League last season. The top two golfers back for the Redbirds are seniors Brogen Evenstad and Seth Johnson.

Evenstad, who averaged a 40 in nine-hole matches last year, took 10th at the conference meet last season. Johnson, who averaged a 45 in nine-hole matches, is back after taking 23rd at conference. Westerman noted that both were letter winners for the last three years.

Other players who will contribute for the Redbirds are senior Joe Thuli, sophomore Atticus Stauffacher and sophomore Michael Kendall. The trio competed on the junior varsity team last year.

Mineral Point is looking to repeat as the conference champion.

"Mineral Point will again be the team to beat," Westerman said. "There are good individual players at Iowa-Grant, Barneveld, Fennimore and Pec-Argyle. Individual honors will be hotly contested."