DARLINGTON — Despite a lower finish in the SWAL Conference in 2022, head coach Tom Curry looks forward to the upcoming season.

The team returns senior Oscar Thuli — a sectional qualifier — and sophomore Olin Johnson — an All-Conference selection.

Austin Ford (senior), DJ Belanger (senior), Liam Lansing (junior) and Eli Aird (sophomore) also return to the squad with varsity experience from a season ago.

“We have most of our team returning this year with [Oscar] Thuli and [Olin] Johnson leading the way,” Curry said. “We’re excited to see how the season will play out.”

In addition to his experienced players, Curry anticipates some freshman making an immediate impact.

“We have a couple freshmen that could make a statement this season,” Curry said. “I’m excited to see how that might play out.”

With a mix of youth an experience, Curry hopes his team will improve and make some moves in conference. The Redbirds finished second to last in 2022 but look to break into the top three.

Curry anticipates Mineral Point to be at the top of the pack again. Last year, the Pointers won the conference, regional and sectional meets. They finished third at the Division 3 state meet behind Kohler and Cambridge.