Beavers lead after day one

I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.

Oct. 10, 1998

By Devlyn Brooks

Beavers men's golf coach Don Niskanen wasn't enamored with how his squad performed Friday in the opening round of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championship.

But it was enough to take the lead heading into the second and final round today.

Beavers Tom Jenkins, Kevin Krigbaum, Ryan Holte and Jay Ross shot a combined 307 Friday at the Bemidji Town & Country Club to take an eight shot lead over Winona State University.

Minnesota-Morris finished third at 318, followed by Wayne State College of Nebraska at 327 and Northern State at 331.

"I didn't expect a round like this. I expected us to be at least seven strokes better," Niskanen said after the first round, "maybe even nine or 10 (strokes) better."

Jenkins, a former Lumberjack golfer, led all individuals, posting a 73, or 1-over-par score. The No. 1 golfer, he has led the Beavers in many of their tournaments this season.

Another former Jack, Kevin Krigbaum seemed to be shooting for a respectable score when disaster struck, and he triple bogeyed the 18th hole. He finished second for BSU with a 77.

Holte, the lone Beaver on the team not from the area, also blistered the front nine, sitting with a par 36 at the turn. However, he hit a 6-over-par 42 on the back nine to finish with a 78.

Ross, the 1997 individual NSIC conference winner as a freshman, shot a 38 on the front with a 41 on the back nine.

Not factoring into the first day's team total was the third former Lumberjack, Tanner Johnson, who fired a respectable round of 80 -- a score good enough to lead two of the other teams competing.

"I was disappointed in our score," Niskanen said. "But some times in competition things happen that you don't expect to happen."

The coach said the immaturity of the team, which features four sophomores and a junior, could have contributed to the poor scores. A more experienced team might not have committed as many mental errors, he added.

"There's an old saying, 'Being tournament tough,'" he said, "and that only comes through experience."

The tournament continues today at 10 a.m., and barring a spectacular rally by Winona or Minnesota-Morris, the Beavers should claim their second straight NSIC conference title.

The last time the Beavers won the crown twice in a row was in 1986-89 when they won it four consecutive years.

The 1998 conference title would be the Beavers' 13th overall.

"I would like to think our scores will be lower (today). We're certainly capable of that," Niskanen said. "For the championship we're up eight strokes so we have the upper hand."