Staff photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm’s Will Fossen tees off during a nonconference golf meet against Mankato West Thursday at New Ulm Country Club.

NEW ULM — On a blustery Thursday afternoon, the New Ulm High School golf teams opened the season with pair of losses to Mankato West in a nonconference golf meet at New Ulm Country Club.

The Scarlets boys won 330-345, while the girls team won 419-468.

The day was scattered with brief rain bursts and gusts of wind, which the golfers battled throughout the afternoon and into the evening.

New Ulm head coach Kim Paa said she learned a lot about the team and that she believed that they would have a solid season going forward. In the future, she hopes to continue to see four golfers in the 80s while pushing the team scores lower throughout the season.

On the girls side of the meet, Elyse Dreckman shot 109 to place fourth, while Sophia Cooke shot 117 to place sixth and Brooklyn Hagberg shot 118 to place seventh.

The girls medalist was West’s Delaney Giesen, who carded a 95.

Will Fossen led the Eagles, shooting an 81 and placing second overall, while Mason Buegler shot an 87 for sixth place and Will Weidman shot an 88 for seventh place.

West’s Landon Pedersen was the boys medalist with a 79.

Fossen said that being back on the golf courses this spring has been enjoyable so far.

“It was nice,” he said. “We golfed a decent amount out here because it’s been good weather, but it was a little weird golfing with different people. Usually I’m golfing with other people on the team, we were missing Gavin Epper, who’s usually one of our more consistent golfers, but it was nice.”

Fossen said the weather of course affected the play on the course on the day, but that it was more of a mental battle than a physical one.

“I think it played a decent part,” Fossen said. “I feel like wind plays more of a mind game than a physical game. When you’re trying to hit the ball, you have to try to think about playing the wind and stuff like that. The wind just gets you frustrated, so the weather is more of a mental game than physical.”

New Ulm will return to action on Thursday in a home invitational against Blue Earth Area, Fairmont, Le Sueur-Henderson, St. Peter and Tri-City United.