Seeking State

Dawson-Boyd junior looking for redemption by making state tournament this season

By Andy Rennecke
DAWSON — One shot would have made all the difference in the world for Colin Bergeson last year.

The-then Dawson-Boyd sophomore missed the Class A state golf meet by one stroke at the Section 3A meet last year in Marshall.

“I missed it in a tiebreaker and by one stroke,” Bergeson said. “It’s motivating me this year because I found out that every stroke matters. I’ve been thinking about it ever since then.”

Looking back to that day last spring, Bergeson points to several short putts that cost him.

“There was one hole where I was shaky with my driver at one point. Then, I used a 3-iron off the tee and it made the hole a lot longer. That put me behind by a couple of strokes. It was kind of a confidence issue last year. I don’t think I’ll have that problem this year.”

In what limited action the Blackjacks and Bergeson have seen this spring due to the poor weather conditions, both have performed admirably.

Bergeson has a low round of 35 on a 9-hole course at a triangular in Raymond and also has a 9-hole round of 36. His best 18-hole round is a 73.

“Everything feels good so far this spring,” Bergeson said. “My putting, chipping and irons are usually pretty good and my driver has been OK.”

Bergeson has been playing on the D-B varsity since he was a seventh-grader. Head coach Dave Baldwin said he doesn’t expect Bergeson to be thinking about last year when the section meet rolls around this year in Marshall.

“I know he’s a great competitor,” Baldwin said. “I can’t say enough good things about him. He’s really emerged this year as a leader. He’s a great influence on everybody. He’s got great hands and is just excellent off the tee. He has a great demeanor for championship golf. We know he’ll play some good golf coming up.”

Baldwin wants to see Bergeson’s iron play become more consistent.

“We’ve talked about how great players score with pure iron play,” Baldwin said. “I think Colin knows that. He was talking to me the other day about what he’s expecting out of himself. It’s just a matter of time before he puts everything together this year.”

Bergeson, who usually averages between 280 to 290 yards on his drives, will golf with the Blackjacks at the Camden Conference meet today at Marshall Golf Club. Knowing the course is important to Bergeson since he’ll be golfing on it for the chance to go to state.

“It’s a pretty tough course,” he said. “You have to hit the ball straight. I had a horrible day at the Marshall Invite this year. Putting hurt my score. If I do well on the greens, I should have a good day there.”

Bergeson has been a big part of D-B’s athletic success this year. He was a linebacker/running back for the 10-1 football team and was a starter on the boys basketball team that lost to eventual Class A state champion Ellsworth in the Section 3A championship game.

“It’s been a lot of fun, I’m not going to lie,” Bergeson said. “There was so much excitement with football that it just carried over to basketball. That has helped a lot with my confidence for golf.”

The Blackjacks have also performed well as a team on the links, winning most of their events. At the Marshall Invite, D-B took second to Marshall with a 327. The team’s lowest round came at Ortonville where it had a 326.

D-B’s lineup consists of Bergeson, Matt Anderson, Jake Baldwin, Andrew Roiger, Tyler Erickson and Nick Blasyk.

“We’ve talked about going lower as a team,” Baldwin said. “The guys know they can do it. They just have to find their game. We’re all thinking big and hoping for the best.

“Colin is clearly our leader and most consistent player. The other five guys take turns. It’s hard to know who to put where in the lineup because they all play so well. But nobody is as consistent as Colin.”