Kirt Manion
kmanion@cherryroad.com

Two athletes are out for golf at Hamburg Charter School for the upcoming spring season with junior Keith Thompson returning as a defending state champion and senior Ian Thompson.
Keith won the state championship in his sophomore season after making it to state and finishing in second place after a playoff.
For Ian, this will be his fourth season of high school golf with the first two seasons taking place at Essex. He came to Hamburg when the Charter School was formed.
The Hamburg golfers will play in 12 meets this year with roughly a third of those being Corner Conference meets.
In terms of expectations, Coach Randy Thompson said Ian will be working his way into medal contention this season. The coach said hitting power off the tee is Ian’s strength and, provided fairway accuracy, he will be set up to score. A top four or five finish in the conference tournament looks to be obtainable.
For Keith, the goal is to repeat as the state champion.
The first item on the agenda is to get to the state tournament and Keith will be looking forward to regular season challenges that get him ready for postseason play.
With that in mind, Coach Thompson said this year’s schedule will include playing on some of the tougher courses and taking on tougher competition from 2A and 3A schools.
Beyond the high school season and the state tournament, Keith is also hoping to do well in the U.S. Open qualifying process.