MONTICELLO — The Monticello-Belleville golf team finished fourth in conference and third in regionals in 2021, eventually sending one golfer to the state tournament. However, that golfer, Peter Gustafson, graduated — as did varsity teammates Jaxson Pier and Logan Niessen.

This season things could lay out differently, though coach Tyler Theden is hopefully his athletes find consistency in their strokes right out of the gate.

“I expect we will continue to be competitive in our conference this year,” Theden said. “The loss of three varsity seniors opens up several shoes to fill so we’ll be working to continue to improve our young team.”

While the program saw some success in 2021, it didn’t come without some perseverance. Theden needed younger players to step into challenging spots, and he saw some position response. The hope is that this year, with a consistent schedule, the team will be able to get into a groove sooner and longer.

“Last year with several alternate sport seasons, we struggled with fielding a consistent roster. This gave a lot of our players opportunities to gain experience with the level of competition that comes from varsity meets,” Theden said. “We will be focusing a lot on course management and mental strength. A positive attitude and good decision-making on the course can yield great results.”

The Capitol Conference should have continued competition for scoring results this season, though Lakeside Lutheran and Lodi might just be a step ahead of field.

“I expect another competitive year. Teams in our conference are always improving and it is really anyone’s year to perform well,” Theden said. “With that being said, I do anticipate Lodi and Lakeside to be top contenders in our conference. Both teams should be returning most of their starting players who played very well last season.”