SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The Augustana University men's golf team enters the season with high hope after ending last season on a high note. The Vikings used momentum gained from multiple top-5 finishes to propel them to a strong summer and hopefully an even stronger fall.

The Vikings ended last season in the best way possible, with a victory. It was the team's only win of the season but helped propel the team to have solid summers and improve their games and jump start their 2016-17 season.

"I think [the Cougar Cup] brought us great momentum," head coach Danny Sinksen said. "They practiced hard this summer. Parker had a great summer of golf and is playing really well and incoming freshman Brady Arzdorf won the Player of the Year in the PGA Minnesota Players Tour so I think building off the momentum of a good win keeps you motivated for the summer."

Sinksen enters his second year at the helm for the Vikings this season. He helped guide Augustana to seven, top-5 finishes that included fourth place finishes in three of the last four matches.

The 2016-17 NSIC Championship will have a few changes this season. In the past the conference has broken it's golf championship up with two rounds being played in the fall and the final two rounds being played at a different course in the spring. However this season the championship event will played as one, three round tournament in the spring.

"This is a way better situation," Sinksen said. "We know it's the peak of our season and will be able to prepare for it the whole time. Just to get everyone on the same page for that in the Spring is a good deal."

When they tee off for the first time Monday, Sept 5 in their Battle at the Falls tournament, the Vikings will have a solid mix of returning talent led by juniors Parker Klitzke and Ted Urch as well as incoming talent. Sinksen will be looking towards the returners to help guide the freshmen this season.

"I think the biggest thing in golf is that we play most of the same courses every year," Sinksen said." So the guys who have been here now for two years have played these courses and can help the new guys on these courses and give them a good idea of what they need to do as well as course management is a big focus of ours and being able to teach them is important."

Urch is coming off a strong sophomore season where he led the Vikings in scoring average with a 76.39 and had two, top-10 finishes. His best tournament was at the Huskie Invite where he finished 3-over-par and tied for sixth place. Klitzke also had a stellar sophomore season where he had a season scoring average of 76.65 and two top-10 finishes. The highlight of Klitzke's season was at the fall portion of the NSIC Championship where he hit a hole-in-one.

Dakota Waverek and Les Williams will also be entering their junior campaigns in the 2016-17 season. Waverek competed in five meets last season posting a scoring average of 81.17 while Williams competed in three events with an average of 87.75.

Carter Kranz will begin his sophomore season after joining the team midway through the season a year ago. Kranz was an important piece for the Vikings in the inaugural Cougar Cup last season. Kranz earned two victories against USF and one against Concordia-St. Paul to help the Vikings to their first team win of the season.

The incoming class that includes Cole Crawford, Brennen Fuhr and Arzdorf is talented and will be counted upon all season. Arzdorf enters his freshman season having been named the Player of the Year in the PGA Minnesota Players Tour while also earning multiple all-conference awards while in high school. Fuhr, who was a four-year starter for Redwood Valley, earned top-5 finishes in each meet he took place in as a senior while finishing second at three different events. Crawford was a three year starter, first team All-Big Rivers Conference honoree and qualified for the Wisconsin State meet as a junior.

Augustana will begin their season Monday, Sept. 5 at the Grand Falls Casino and Golf Resort when they host the "Battle at the Falls" event.