Golfers get early start

They haven’t even competed yet, but the 2005 season is already off to a great start for Ely’s high school golf teams.Because of an unusually mild April, deep snow quickly melted from area courses and the season - for a change - may actually start on time.The Ely boys begin East Range Conference Tuesday at Eveleth while the girls start at the same site next week.And, in a rarity for high school linksters in northern Minnesota, the tremendous weather will even allow the Wolves to get a few practice rounds in before the season gets underway.“This is the earliest we’ve ever been out,” said longtime Ely coach Rob Simonich. “It’s been a surprisingly early spring.”Both Ely teams have quality returning talent and good depth. More than 30 golfers in grades 7-12 are out for the squads.“This is the most people we’ve had in four years,” said Simonich.The Ely girls team returns a section meet qualifier in sophomore Katie Spangler.She heads a squad that includes another sophomore - April Levar - who is coming off a solid spring in 2004.The rest of the girls team includes junior Alison Folz, sophomore Sarah Wood, and seventh-graders Alyssa Levar, Nicolette Leustek, Jaime Mobilia and Kelsey Velcheff.With six senior and returning underclassmen such as previous section qualifier Jordan Richards, the Ely boys team has the makings of a conference contender.Richards, a junior, advanced to the Section 7A meet during his freshman campaign and was knocked out of the running in a sudden-death playoff last spring.Richards and fellow junior Richie Milovich join seniors including Gunnar Johnson, Kyle Kratt, George Burger, Nate Huisman, Billy Saw and Steven Markwardt. “We’ve got experience with Nate and Gunnar and Kratt and Steve and Richie and Jordan,” said Simonich. “We’ve got plenty of guys. Those six are the ones with experience and we can rotate back with two or four other guys for the last two spots. It all depends on where they come out.”Junior Jeremy North and sophomores Warren Burger, Ben Jandrey, Tom Bennett and Charlie Kellerman add depth for the Wolves.Ely also has a full contingent of junior high golfers, including freshmen Dylan Benson, Jared Boes and Ricky Horvat, and eighth-graders Tom Beaty, Mike Ivancich, Matt Kidd, Tom Klun, Matthias Meskill, Josh Ojala, Jay Soderberg and George Weckman. Seventh-graders Travis Mattila and Sam Westlin are also on the squad. With Ely fielding varsity and junior high squads and taking part in both East Range and invitational meets, the spring will be a busy one.“We’ve got 26 events in 20 days,” said Simonich. “After next week, we literally go every day and weekends until the 24th (of May).”Ely hosts a junior high meet May 3, an East Range boys event May 5 and a conference girls meet May 10.