The River Falls golf team is bringing back the same roster that would have competed a season ago, had it not been for the cancelled season due to COVID concerns.

Last week Tuesday, the Wildcats hosted a Big Rivers Conference (BRC) meet at the River Falls Golf Club.

Dylan Rach and Matthew Marsolek each led the team, shooting a 37 on the front nine holes. Trey Timm was four over par at 39, while Max Xiong shot a 40 and Chris Chapin recorded a 44. The team total of 153 tied Eau Claire Memorial’s mark on the day.

On Thursday, April 29, River Falls traveled to the Lake Hallie Golf Course for nine holes hosted by BRC opponent Eau Claire North.

Timm and Xiong paced the Wildcats, each shooting 37’s. Marsolek recorded a 40, while Rach a 42 and Chapin 44. The Wildcats finished with 156 strokes as a team, second behind Eau Claire Memorial’s 150.

The Wildcats will rely on their experience and strong leadership this season when they hit the links.

“Max (Xiong) and Dylan (Rach) are the team captains,” first-year Head Coach Tim LaVold said. “Dylan is great at welcoming the younger players and keeping everything light. He is a very confident player. Max is a quiet leader who comes to the course every day and works his tail off to get better.”

River Falls has high expectations for this seasoned golf team. Xiong is in his fourth year competing on the varsity roster.

“Our strength is our experience,” LaVold stated. “This team has played a lot of tournament golf. We have a very good team this year and our team goal is to qualify for the state tournament.”

The Wildcats face stiff competition throughout the year in the BRC and look to lead the pack.

“The top three teams in the BRC this year are River Falls, Eau Claire Memorial and Hudson,” LaVold predicted.