The spring sports season gets underway tonight for the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk boys and girls golf teams when they take on the Iowa City Regina Regals. The Golden Hawk girls are coming off of a banner year in 2022, when they hung a state qualifier banner for the first time since 2014. The Golden Hawks had a 42-16 meet record. Mid-Prairie peaked down the stretch of the season, finishing as River Valley runners-up at the conference meet in Peosta, with five of six varsity players earning all-conference honors. The Hawks won the opening round regional tournament in Kalona by 40 shots with a 395, qualified for state with a team runner-up performance in the regional final with a 392, and at state in Cedar Falls, the Golden Hawks were 10th with their two-day total of 795. The Golden Hawks had a 213 nine-hole average score a season ago and a 408, 18-hole average. They return eight of their top nine players from last season including Gabi Robertson and her team leading 53 average per nine holes as a sophomore. Also back for her junior season is Madi Davidson with her team best 99 average for 18, along with varsity players Alexa Huber, Elliot Debler, and Addison English. The Hawks will have to replace senior Madelyn Bender and her 54 and 106 averages for nine and 18-holes respectively. The Golden Hawks beat the Regals last year 225-262 in Kalona.

The Mid-Prairie boys host the Regals Monday. Mid-Prairie had a young team last year that finished 14th at the RVC meet in Muscatine with Drew Schlabaugh earning all-conference honors with his 88 as the team fired a 395. In the postseason, the Golden Hawk team was eliminated in sectionals at Tipton, shooting a 395 to finish seventh, but saw junior Warren Scarff qualify for districts with an 88. At districts, Scarff was 30th with a 91. As a team, the Hawks had a 210 nine-hole average and shot 397 for 18-holes. Schlabaugh had team best averages of 46 for nine holes and 92 for 18. They bring back four of their top six by the numbers, including Schlabaugh, Scarff, Ben Mattes, and Carsen Pence, losing Ian Schmidt last year to graduation. The Regals beat the Golden Hawks in their opener a season ago at Brown Deer in Iowa City 187-207. The two meets start at 4p.m. and continue into the evening with the boys in Kalona and the girls at Pleasant Valley in Iowa City.