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It's coming.

The Steamboat Springs High School golf team has shown steady improvement during its first four tournaments of the season. The team has shaved between 10 and 15 strokes off its first tournament score, and the team - while devoid of a superstar - has shown it's a deep group.

That said, coach Scott Berry isn't satisfied - yet.

After the team finished second Wednesday in Montrose with a team score of 233, four shots behind Basalt, and third Thursday with a 235, 14 shots behind Basalt, Berry said the opportunity to knock 10 to 15 shots off those scores is a distinct possibility.

"It's the age-old thing of maturing through the season," Berry said. "It's just doing better and better and better through the season. : In terms of our potential, we're probably 10 strokes away from where we need to be."

At the Bridges golf course on Wednesday, Berry said the Sailors showed some of that potential.

Led by Kaelen Gunderson's 75, Steamboat proved it could compete with powerhouse Basalt.

Teammates Cody Fritz (77), Michael Weston (81) and Tyler Ostrom (81) all contributed to Steamboat's cause.

"That was a good result. It was a break for those guys," Berry said. "I don't know what it was. They just kept at it and relaxed."

On Thursday at the Fairway Pines golf course, Berry said he was a little disappointed in the Sailors' play.

Although Weston shot a solid round of 75, everyone else on the team dropped a couple of shots with the exception of Fritz, who shot his second straight 77. Gunderson shot 85, Ostrom shot 88 and Jace Hvambsal shot 81.

"We're moving forward, and it doesn't feel like we're stagnant," Berry said. On Wednesday, "we took a pretty substantial positive gain."

With a tournament in Cortez next week on the same course where the regional tournament will be played, Berry said the biggest thing will be trying to find consistency from tournament to tournament.

"It's getting in the middle of the fire and going for it," Berry said. "That's all that is."

Steamboat next plays in Cortez on Wednesday.

- To reach Luke Graham, call 871-4229

or e-mail lgraham@steamboatpilot.com