Golf season starts this week

The Columbia Falls golf team will hit the links in its first tournament today (Thursday) in Ronan.

The golf season starts a week earlier this year in the hopes that the season ending divisional and state tournaments will have some playable weather.

Last year's state tournament was cut short by bitter cold and poor weather. The idea is to avoid a repeat of that, said Wildcat golf coach Gene Marcille.

This year's team should field about 15 athletes, though some of the younger players have yet to practice, Marcille noted. This year's boys team will be anchored by Parker Johnson, Brian Marcille, Jordan Mueller and Nick Emerson, Marcille said.

Johnson was an all-conference player last year. On the girls' side, Marcille looks for good things from Michelle Hagen, Courtney Tamburelli and Olivia Williams.

Hagen was an all-conference player for the Cats last season. Marcille has been coaching the team for 20 years and his assistant, Dan Frankino, has been with the squad for 15 seasons.