Hart Indians boys’ golf continued to shine in its preseason at Monday’s Coyote Invitational at Calabasas Country Club.
The Indians finished third out of 20 high school teams competing, but above three other local teams in the invitational.
Hart sophomore Kai Miyata finished second on the day with an even par at 72 strokes. Miyata was one of three Indians to finish under 80 strokes, on their way to a bronze medal.
“Last Thursday, he shot 71, a -1. Then he turns around and shoots a 72,” Hart head coach Steve Lindberg said in a phone interview. “Kai is playing some great golf. He pushes himself and expects a lot out of himself. It’s great to see a 10th grader so dialed in and playing at such a high level. He’s playing some really good golf right now and he’s got a lot of confidence.”
Right behind Miyata were juniors Nathan Ekins (+4) and Dylan Burcham (+6).
West Ranch was another local team on the green that also finished with three golfers under 80 strokes. Freshman Tyler Sonnenberg led the Wildcats with a 75 (+3).
The Coyote Invitational just missed all the rain but the course was still a little wet. Lindberg saw a handful of balls hit the mud but was pleased with his team’s performance on the “challenging and high-quality course.”
Valencia’s Taylor Cotti finished the day at 77 strokes while Peyton Marvin led Saugus with an 84.
Lindberg is excited for league play as the Indians aren’t the only ones having special preseasons.
Valencia has the reigning Foothill League MVP in Cotti while West Ranch is set for another year of depth with a freshman coming along already in Sonnenberg.
“I’m really excited to see how my players perform in league,” Lindberg said. “Hopefully during league, they’re playing their best golf. That’s the goal each year: Play your best golf in April and May, when it really counts.”
League play begins on Tuesday at the Oaks Club with a 12 p.m. tee-off.
“The preseason has been great for all of our local teams,” Lindberg said. “We’ve played a competitive and busy preseason. We’re all excited and next Tuesday it all begins at noon. These boys are so dedicated, they’ve been in two to three tournaments a month. These guys are playing weekend matches during the offseason, they are dialed in and ready to go.”
