CARIBOU, Maine — The Vikings’ golf team has compiled one of its most consistent seasons during coach Shawn Savage’s tenure.
The squad has just two seniors, but a bulk of the team has been together for three years now, with only two members having graduated during that time.
Savage said five of the top seven golfers utilized memberships at Caribou Country Club this year to work on their games and all seven have “put the time in and have all improved from last year,” he said.
The result has been a 7-4 record heading into Thursday’s Penobscot Valley Conference championship at JaTo Highlands in Lincoln, which also serves as the state qualifier.
The top three Class B teams will qualify for the team event Oct. 11, with the top 20 individuals who shoot 90 or better and female players who shoot 110 or better making it into the individual state tourney the following Saturday. Both will be played at Natanis Country Club in Vassalboro.
“We missed qualifying for the States last year by just a few strokes, but we hope to make a run and expect to be competitive,” the coach said.
Caribou’s top players are Savage’s sons — Dayne and Donovan.
Dayne, a senior, carries an average of 40.4, while Donovan, a junior, is close behind at 40.7.
The older sibling has led the Vikings in scoring average since his sophomore year, cutting over a stroke from last year’s average of 41.5. His younger brother has peeled over four strokes from last year’s 45.1 average.
Where Dayne qualified for last year’s state individual tourney, Donovan is seeking his first berth in the event.
Katie Pelletier, the only other senior, has qualified for the state meet every season so far and has also improved her game by nearly four strokes per round.
Tyler Dombroski is Caribou’s No. 4 golfer. The junior has also shown marked improvement from 2013, knocking three strokes off his average.
Sophomore Connor Plourde and juniors Jordan Bevins and Ricky Sheldon round out the starting seven and all three average in the low 50s.
Rounding out the roster are a trio of freshmen — Noah Rosado, Camden Dumont and Andy Russell. Savage said all three have shown an eagerness to learn and improve.
The Vikings had a three-team match Thursday at JaTo and hosted an invitational tournament Saturday to help get ready for Thursday’s league tourney.
On Thursday, Caribou outscored both Presque Isle and John Bapst, with the Vikings posting 167 strokes to beat the Wildcats by 15 and the Crusaders by 21.
Dayne Savage was the medalist with a 38, with Donovan Savage and Dombroski coming in with a 41 and 42, respectively.
Pelletier had a 46 and Bevins a 47 for the winners.
In the first Caribou Invitational, four local teams participated in the 18-hole competition. Houlton was the team winner with a 336, with the Vikes the runner-up with a 349.
Hodgdon (402) and Presque Isle (412) also took part.
Dayne Savage bested his younger brother and Hodgdon’s Ben Tuttle in a sudden death playoff after all three finished with 79s in regulation.
