'Jacks are section champs on the links

Keegan Poppenberg may have not been the favorite to win the section title heading into the section meet at Giants Ridge last week, but the senior certainly showed his leadership skills, winning the section title with a two-day total of 148 for the two-day event.

Poppenberg's 4-over-par was five strokes better than that of his Lumberjack teammate Anthony McKay, who finished with a 9-over-par score of 153.

Golf coaches Jon Horbacz and Matt Carlson are optimistic about the state competition.

"The guys have had a good year and should be ready to go," Carlson said, noting that the team has six guys who can score, although only the top four scores count. "All year those six guys have been in the mix."

Cloquet's Sam Baker, a section favorite heading into the tournament, finished 16 over par and tied for fourth place. The Lumberjacks also saw Bradyen Tyman finish 12th in the section meet, shooting a two-day total of 164.

"Keegan led the way at sections," Carlson said. "Our goal is to get there as a team."

Behind the strong showing from Poppenberg, McKay, Baker and Tyman, the Cloquet-Esko boys team easily won first place, with a team scores over the two days of 308 and 317, for a total of 625. The second-place Duluth Denfeld team was more than 50 points behind them with a total score of 676, followed by Virginia with 680 and Marshall School with 688.

With the win, the Cloquet boys golf team is headed back to the state boys golf tournament June 11-12 for the second consecutive year and fourth in school history. Last year the Lumberjacks finished fourth as a team at state, while Baker - then a freshman - took fourth place as an individual as well.

Carlson said that the depth of the team is one of its biggest assets.

"That's a luxury not a lot of teams have," he said. "Last year at state we had no scores over 81. If they'd taken all six scores, we probably would have won last year."

Experience will help too.

"They were kind of just happy to be there last year," he said. "The second time around, we are looking for a little more."

Girls team

Competing in the larger section 7AAA meet in Hinckley, the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton girls golf team didn't fare as well as the boys team but still made impressive showings in the sectional meet.

"We are very young and the girls did a great job representing our school," Carlson said. "The future looks very good with all the young talent we have returning in the future."

The Lumberjacks girls team failed to qualify for the second day of competition in the sectional meet as they finished Day 1 in ninth place with a total of 399, and only the top three teams advance to the second day. Forest Lake won the team title followed by Elk River and St. Michael Albertville.

Avery Carlson was the top girls finisher with a round of 95, while Hannah Lundberg also broke 100, shooting a 98. Alisha Broneak ended with a round of 101, and Gracie Chartier came in with a round of 105.