The Wagner Community School’s Varsity golf team swung into their season on Friday, April 11th when they participated in the Class B Classic in Mitchell at Lakeview at 10:30 a.m. This meet was one of their toughest of the season.

Coaching staff for the 2025 WCS golf team includes head coach Riley Kirwan who is assisted by Chris Kuca. Kirwan has been coaching for the past 12 years. This year’s team has nine participants including seniors Parker Petry and Preston McFayden; junior Ashlyn Koupal; sophomores Hayden Knudsen, Paxton Kuhlman and Avery Medicine Bear; and freshmen Cruise Koupal, Eva Kjeldgaard, and Aubrey Kazena.

One of last year’s biggest season highlights was that the entire team participated at the regional competition. This year the team’s goal is to get one or more Raider golfers to qualify for the state tournament. Team leadership will come from freshmen Kjeldgaard and Kazena as well as seniors Petry and McFayden. These four will be depended upon to be key players as the season progresses.

As the head coach, Kirwan is most looking forward to this season getting outside with the kids and teaching them the game that he loves. What Coach Kirwan believes is needed to build a successful team is that the season has to begin in the off-season. Getting golfers to golf consistently throughout the summer in order for them to become more committed to the game is needed to help build any program.

The Varsity golf team’s next meet is on Friday, April 25 at 10 a.m. at the Gregory Golf Course.