HHS golfers get busy

It's been an up-and-down start to the 2014 high school golf season for the Havre Blue Ponies. Not so much in scores and finishes, but more so with the weather.

And though it's still early in September, Havre is at the halfway point of the 2014 season, and the Ponies have already played in all types of conditions. Now, HHS will start its busiest stretch of the year when the Ponies play four tournaments over the next eight days.

This weekend, Havre will travel to the Lewistown Invitational, then come back home to host the Havre Invitational Saturday at Beaver Creek Golf Course.

It's an important weekend for the Ponies, who will then have just one regular season week left before the Central A Divisional tournament, so head coach Brett Gilman will be looking for his varsity teams to really start to come on strong.

The Pony boys, who will be the favorite at the Central A tourney in two weeks, have been led this season by sophomore Dustin Haas and junior Jeff Miller. Both players have occupied HHS's top spot at different points this season, as junior Jerod Boles. Senior Wyatt Lindbloom and sophomore Kane Gabrielsen round out the varsity lineup, while sophomores Trey Hanson and Aden Passon will also push for varsity spots at the end of the season.

The Havre High girls on the other hand, won't be the favorite in the Central, with four first-time varsity players on the roster. But with each passing tournament, Regan Lammers, Grace Litzinger, MacKenzie Tilleman and Jordan Keith continue to improve. The Ponies are led by junior Randi Gabrielsen, who's earned three Top 10 finishes so far this season.

As for this weekend, Havre will really get a sense of where it stands in the Central A, too. Friday's Lewistown Invite will be played at Pine Meadows Golf Course and will feature all of the Central A teams, with Livingston and Belgrade joining Havre and Browning for the meet.

Then, the Ponies will be back on their home course the next day, taking on the Eagles, as well as Browning. Saturday's meet is also a big event for Havre, because all of the Blue Ponies, varsity and junior varsity will be competing in the 18-hole tournament at BCGC.

And this week will prepare the Ponies well for what lies ahead.

Next week, HHS road trips to the Billings area for a pair of 18-hole tournaments. The Ponies will be at the Billings Central Invitational next Thursday and the Laurel Invite next Friday. Then, it's the Central A Divisional Sept. 27 in Bozeman. So HHS really needs the weather to cooperate this weekend, and to use the next 36 holes to sharpen their golf games.

Friday's Lewistown Invite starts at 9:30 a.m. at Pine Meadows Golf Course. Saturday's Havre Invitational, at BCGC also has a shotgun start of 9:30 a.m.