Orioles ready to begin 2026 boys’ golf season

The Lennox High School boys’ golf team enters the 2026 season with a large group of golfers competing for varsity positions and a young roster looking to build on last year’s postseason experience.

Head coach Jacob Hinker begins his fourth season as Lennox’s head golf coach. His coaching experience has been entirely with the Orioles, and he will lead the team without an assistant coach this season.

The Orioles are coming off a season that saw them finish sixth as a team at the conference meet and seventh as a team at regions. Lennox also sent two individual golfers to the state tournament, with Griffen Boomgarden placing 28th and Wyatt Holland finishing 35th.

Boomgarden, along with Jaxson Bittner, Eli Highum, Elijah Johnson and Gabe Veurink, graduated after competing in varsity meets as seniors last season. Their departures leave openings in the varsity lineup, but Hinker believes the competition for those spots could ultimately benefit the team.

“We will have a lot of competition for varsity spots this year. There will be spots up for grabs and the competition will bring out the best in each individual golfer to bring out the best team we can have when regions come around,” Hinker said.

Several golfers who gained varsity experience as underclassmen last season return in 2026, including Holland, Eli Plank, Grayden Veurink, Justin Butler and Cason Zens.

The Orioles also have a large roster of younger golfers who will have an opportunity to develop and compete for positions throughout the season.

“We still have a young team so it will be a question mark going in figuring out who will separate themselves from one another,” Hinker said.

Lennox will face several familiar opponents as it works toward the postseason. Hinker expects Vermillion and Dakota Valley to once again be among the top teams in the region and conference.

“Vermillion and Dakota Valley are perennial contenders and I expect that to hold true again this year,” he said.

West Central and Sioux Falls Christian could also contend among the Class A teams.

One of the season’s particularly interesting tournaments for the Orioles will come Sept. 11 at Lakeview in Mitchell. The Lakeview course will also host the state tournament, giving Lennox an opportunity to get an early look at the course and gauge where the team stands.

“I am interested to see how our tournament goes on September 11 at Lakeview in Mitchell. The state meet is at Lakeview and it will be interesting to see where we stack up at the course,” Hinker said.

As the season progresses, the primary goal will be finding consistency among the golfers who ultimately make up the varsity lineup.

“We are hoping to find consistency amongst our varsity team this season and if we can do that, we will be confident in our ability to compete at the region meet at the end of September,” Hinker said.

The Orioles will have plenty of competition for those varsity spots, with 58 golfers listed on the 2026 roster, ranging from seventh graders through seniors.

The senior class includes Jacob Carlson, Matthew Dummer, Wyatt Holland, Emmitt Odland, Adam Passaniti and Eli Plank.

The junior class features Carter Beringer, Justin Butler, Cole Dressen, Lukias Johnson, Ryan Passaniti, Keegan Vander Plaats, Grayden Veurink and Josh Wipf.

The sophomores are Syler Bittner, Chase Hazuka, Chase Hedin, Kelton Smith, Bode Sweeter and Colter Williamson.

The freshmen are Jason Crumb, Kruise Grajczyk, Levi Hickey, Brayden Hofer, Blake Holland, Koen VanderKooy, Jake Westra, Liam Wilson, Elliot Hoogestraat and Levi Kingsbury.

Lennox’s eighth graders are Jasper Beringer, Griffin Eich, Sawyer Johnson, James Kezar, Bennett Lottman, Jack Luvaas, Miles McCarty, Cohen Perrion, Kade Sweeter, Jamen Vanderwerf and Cason Zens.

The seventh graders are Beckett Christensen, Easton Doud, Jamison Dykstra, Nathaniel Kruse, Jax Reilly, Tanner Stensaas, Hudson Hoogestraat and Evan Lamprecht.

The Orioles open their season on Aug. 18 in the West Central Early Bird Invite. 

On Aug. 20 the Orioles take part in the Madison Invitational. On Aug. 24 the team will compete in the Dell Rapids Tournament. On Sept. 8 Lennox will host Madison and West Central. On Sept. 11 the team will compete in Mitchell. On Sept. 14 the team travels to Vermillion, to Elk Point on Sept. 17 and to Vermillion on Sept. 17. 

The Dak XII Conference Meet will be held Sept. 21 with Regions slated for Sept. 28. State Golf will be held Oct. 5-6 in Mitchell.