By Steve Korby
Lumberjacks get a win 'down south'
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Cloquet senior Anders Gunelson hits the ball during a boys golf meet in Red Wing, Minnesota, last Wednesday, April 17.
The Cloquet High School boys golf team traveled to Red Wing to take on the Wingers at the Mississippi National Golf Links on April 17.
Traveling 178 miles south from their home course, Cloquet coach Aaron Young said they figured when they put the match on the schedule "that we'd get nice weather again, like we did last spring. It wasn't exactly the case," he said. It was overcast and temperatures were in the 50s. Cloquet won the duel meet by a score of 312 to Red Wing's 337.
Cloquet was led by junior Lance Saylor, who shot an even par 71. He had a total of five birdies, four on the back nine. Second place in the meet went to Red Wing senior Jacob Quade, with a 76.
Cloquet is the defending Section 7AA champion. Red Wing is also a Class AA school participating in the Section 1 and the Big Nine Conference.
Other Cloquet scores included Anders Gunelson (78), Karson Young (81), Collin Young (82), Cooper Elena (84), and Blair Chartier (84). The top four scores count toward the team total.
"We have six returning starters," Young said. "And all have played at State at least one year."
Red Wing's head coach is Ryan Salo Korby, who, like Young, is a Cloquet alumnus. (He's also the son of this writer.) Both are longtime members at the Cloquet Country Club. Young was a middle school teacher when Korby attended Cloquet schools.
Cloquet has won multiple section titles in a row and won the state championship in 2021.
"Cloquet has impressive team depth," said Red Wing coach Korby, "which should serve them very well in their upcoming matches and section championships."
On Thursday, April 18, the Cloquet boys team played in the Pequot Lakes Early Bird Invitational tourney at the Pines golf course in Nisswa, Minnesota. It was a cold and windy day and Cloquet finished in fifth place. Anders Gunnelson was the top Cloquet finisher with a 75 and finished sixth in the individual scoring.
On Monday, April 22, the Cloquet Boys played at the Stillwater Country Club. The Lumberjacks had four of the top five individual scores. Anders Gunnelson was medalist with a 70 followed closely by Blair Chartier with 75, Karson Young and Cooper Elena both with 78.
"We played better on Monday, and won the meet with a team score of 301, which I'm very happy with," said Coach Young. Next up is the meet hosted by Eden Prairie High School Friday and Saturday at the Edinburgh Golf Course in Brooklyn Park. The Lake Superior Conference meet is scheduled for next Wednesday at Nemadji Golf Club in Superior, Wisconsin.
