LAKEWOOD, COLO. --- The South Dakota Mines Hardrocker men's and women's golf teams are ready to tee off the season starting on Monday.

"I feel like we have a lot of leadership and experience with our returners this year," said third-year head coach Luke Wheeler. "This is going to be a big year for both programs to make the jump in the conference."

The men's squad will be returning nine players from last year's roster. Seniors this year are Bryce Howard and Lane Jensen. Juniors returning are: Jake Francis, Carson McDaniel, Roger Nakagawa, and Alex Lesselyoung. Sophomores include Joseph Vincent, Supawich Boonta, and Nicholas Ruhrer. Two freshmen have joined the team and they are Ian Bjork and Braydon Jones.

"The guys will have a lot of opportunity to compete in tournaments this fall," said Wheeler. "We have two tournaments where everyone gets to travel and play. We will know a lot about the team for the spring from this fall."

The Rockers begin the season at The Wirtz Fall Classic at Bear Creek Golf Club hosted by Colorado Christian University. Then they will be home hosting the Hardrocker Invite at The Golf Club at Red Rocks on September 20-21. The next weekend they will travel to Laurel, MT to compete in the Beartooth Classic at Laurel Golf Club hosted by Montana State Billings and Rocky Mountain College. That tournament is scheduled for September 27-28. The Rockers will wrap up the fall season at the Regional Preview at the Pueblo Country Club hosted by Colorado State University-Pueblo on Oct 4-5.

The women have two seniors that will graduate in December. They are Abigail Magee and Lexa Rauert. Annika Schooler, Jessalyn Shipp, Rianna Garland, and Mya Maxwell round out the sophomore class. The Rockers have three freshmen on the team this year and they are Lora Ortega, Julia Sabetti, and Portia Lenczowski.

The Hardrockers will also compete in four tournaments this fall beginning with The Swan Memorial at Todd Creek Golf Club in Thorton, CO, hosted by Colorado Christian University. The Rockers will then play in the Hardrocker Invite and the Beartooth Classic with the men. The women will finish up the fall at the Westminster Wasatch Invitation at Glenmoor Golf Club in South Jordan, UT. This tournament is hosted by Westminster College.

"This fall will be a great opportunity for the women as they all get to play in every tournament," said Wheeler. "I am looking forward to seeing how we compete against the best schools in the region."

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About South Dakota Mines
The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and NCAA Division II offering 11 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic programs. The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 members, as well as four associate members, located in the states of California, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Utah.