COLORADO SPRINGS – The end of the Class 4A boys cross country race was the talk of the course on Saturday morning.
In the final stretch as they approached the finish, Niwot’s Zane Bergen and Green Mountain’s Grahm Tuohy-Gados were in close pursuit of one another. Roughly 50 feet from the finish, the two got tangled up and Bergen fell to the ground before regaining his feet and finishing.
So while Tuohy-Gados crossed first, with Bergen just behind, Tuohy-Gados was disqualified for impeding a runner. It meant Bergen won the state title.
Even though he fell, Bergen’s time of 15 minutes, 29.5 seconds still set the 4A course record, which was previously held by former Niwot teammate Cruz Culpepper.
“It was a pretty physical race the whole way,” Bergen said. “I knew I had a shot to catch him when we were coming into the stadium. I got cut off when I tried to pass him and got tangled up and I fell. But I just knew I had to get up and finish the race for the team.”
Paced by Bergen’s late-race efforts, the Niwot boys won the team championship with a score of 36 and well ahead of runner-up Cheyenne Mountain.
In fact, the Cougars took home both the 4A boys and girls team trophies for the second year in a row. For the Niwot girls, it was their third straight year winning the team title. This time, it was a freshman, Mia Prok, who led the way with a runner-up finish and a time of 18:02.4 that helped the Cougars beat Battle Mountain by 38 points with a team score of 55.
Ahead of Prok’s impressive freshman debut was an even more impressive finish by Air Academy freshman Bethany Michalak. Leading the Kadets to a third-place team placing, Michalak won the girls 4A race with a time of 17:59.1.
“It was an incredibly hard race today,” Michalak said. “It was really hot and there wasn’t a ton of shade but I’m really happy with how it turned out. Me and Mia have raced against each other in club a lot, so I knew she was a really amazing runner and a great competitor. With her and Samantha Blair (Eagle Valley), I knew there was going some great competition.
COLORADO SPRINGS — It was a milestone day in so many ways for Cheyenne Mountain.
As the school’s namesake loomed large in the near distance, the boys golf team captured the Class 4A state tournament championship Tuesday at the Country Club of Colorado.
In the process, the school became just the second program in Colorado to win 100 state crowns. Cherry Creek High School, with 217, was the first. This is the school’s second boys golf championship, with the first coming in 2004.
Cheyenne Mountain, which trailed Mullen High School by four strokes after Monday’s first round, roared back to win in the final round by five strokes over the Mustangs (459-464).
“I can’t be any prouder of my team and the heart they showed, starting on the back nine yesterday and carrying over into today,” said Cheyenne Mountain head coach John Carricato, now in his sixth year at the helm.
“We don’t talk about the outcome. We talk about being competitively mature and being able to stay in the moment, and they did a great job doing that these past two days. I can’t be any happier for them.”
It was truly a team win for Cheyenne Mountain, which placed three golfers in the top 15.
Sophomore Carter Surofchek (77-75, 152) finished in a tie for sixth place, followed by senior Connor Moberly (80-74, 154) in a tie for ninth place. Another sophomore, Thomas Herholtz (78-78, 156), finished in a five-way tie for 11th place.
“It feels great, especially being the 100th win for Cheyenne Mountain,” Surofchek said. “I’m almost speechless. It’s just a great feeling. We’ve worked so hard. We’ve outworked everyone.
“We really came back in the second round and worked our butts off,” he added. “It was a true team win. We trusted ourselves, we trusted our teammates and everything came together.”
Montrose, which had won the previous three team titles (2017, 2018, 2019), finished third with a score of 472.
But the team still had reason to celebrate afterwards thanks to Jordan Jennings.
(Paul Soriano)
The senior carded a 3-under-par 68 to win the state championship by four strokes over Mario Dino of Mullen.
Jennings, who was tied with five other players for second place after the first round, started the final round hot as he posted three straight birdies after a par on the first hole.
“I got off to a great start. I knew that I had to,” he admitted. “I was making some good putts and hitting the ball a lot better.”
Jennings made the turn at 1-under par, then scorched the back nine, going bogey-free along with two birdies to win going away.
“I think I was three-strokes back going into the back nine, and I just told myself to keep my head up. It’s not over yet, and I’ve got a lot of golf left,” he added. “I stayed positive, made a few putts coming down the stretch and got it done.”
For Montrose head coach Steve Skiff, it was a mission accomplished.
“Jordan has been playing this way all year. He’s been a really steady golfer for us,” Skiff said. “We wanted him to win a state championship his senior year, and he went out and played an awesome round today … really the last two days.
“It couldn’t happen to a better kid,” Skiff added. “He’s the rock of our program, and has been for the last four years. I just couldn’t be more proud of him, and I’m so happy to coach him.”
Jennings, who is headed to Colorado State next season, had some encouraging words for his teammates after watching Cheyenne Mountain snap the Indians’ streak of three-straight titles.
“We fell short this year,” said Jennings. “Obviously, I’m so excited to win as an individual, but those young kids definitely have a few state titles coming their way if they just keep working.
“They’re great players and great kids. I think they’re going to do well in the future.”
And as happy as he is for his Cheyenne Mountain golfers, Carricato is also excited about the future.
“It’s hard to describe, but the reason [my team] accomplished what they did is because there are about 10 other kids in this program that push them,” he said. “Those other players are good enough to be on a state team.
“Our depth is one of our biggest strengths, and we’re lucky to be able to build that program with that depth,” Carricato added. “We’re looking forward to what’s going to happen in the next couple of years, too.”
COLORADO SPRINGS — Mullen’s boys golf team is poised to do something it hasn’t accomplished in 18 years: Win a state championship.
The Mustangs, paced by Mario Dino, Rhett Johnson and Andrew Brady, posted a score of 231 in the first round of the Class 4A state tournament Monday at the Country Club of Colorado.
Mullen leads Cheyenne Mountain (235) by four strokes and Pueblo West (238) by seven strokes heading into tomorrow’s final round. Three-time defending state champion Montrose is in fourth place with a score of 239.
“I’m very proud of what the guys did today,” said Mullen head coach Jerry Koehler. “We had some very strong play from our first two players (Mario and Rhett). They came out, played tremendously well and stayed patient. You’ve got to do that on this course. Our third man, Andrew, played well but had a tough finish.
“But we still got in with three really good scores on this course considering these greens and pin placements. So it was a job well done.”
The Mustangs have won seven boys golf state titles, with their last team victory coming in 2002.
“We’re not done. We’re not done by a long shot,” Koehler admitted. “We know nobody is going to give this to us, so we’ve gotta go out (tomorrow) and we gotta take it.”
(Paul Soriano)
Dino, a senior, shot a 74 to lead all players, while Johnson carded a 76 to finish the first round in a tie for second place. Brady double-bogeyed each of the last two holes and finished with a score of 81.
“It was a good round,” said Dino, who led Mullen to the Region 3 championship by winning the individual title at Quail Dunes on Sept. 22. “But it’s a really hard course. I’m happy with a 74. There were a few bumps in the road, but other than that, it was a great day.”
Johnson nailed three birdies on the day before finishing with three bogeys on the last three holes.
“I left a couple putts out there,” he revealed. “It was a tough course today with tough pin positions. Tomorrow will be the deciding day, but it will be a fun round to watch. We’re pretty excited to be leading after the first day.”
Noah Wagner and Toby Salinas of Pueblo West, Jordan Jennings of Montrose and Noah Keller of Coronado join Johnson in the logjam for second place, just two strokes off the lead.
“It was definitely a grind out there. It’s a great golf course, and it definitely tests your game,” said Jennings, who tied for 11th place at last year’s state tournament. “I made a few good putts early to stay even. One bad swing on No. 8 and another tough break cost me a few strokes, but I knew I just had to keep it together and not get down on myself.
“I’ve just got to go out tomorrow and post a good score and see where I fall.”
And how does he feel knowing that a fourth-straight title will be an uphill battle?
“We’ve had the pressure before so we know how to handle it,” Jennings said calmly. “Some of the younger guys struggled a bit today, but they’re good enough players and they’ll play better tomorrow. So I’m looking forward to it; it’s going to be good.”
State championship season rolls on as the boys golf tournaments are set to begin play on Monday. The Class 5A tournament will take place at Rolling Hills in Lakewood, the 4A tournament will be played at the Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs and the 3A tournament is at Dos Rios in Gunnison.
Each classification has several standout teams as well as multiple teams that can battle for a team state championship. Below is breakdown of what to expect at each tournament when the boys start launching them Monday morning.
Weather forecast: Sunny, temperatures in high 70’s (both days)
Outlook: The 5A tournament might have some of the best talent the state has on display. Cherry Creek sophomore Charlie Flaxbeard and teammate TJ Hicks both shot career rounds at regionals and will take a lot of momentum into state. Combined with the veteran presences that players like Kates and teammate Matthew Wilkinson bring and it could make for a fun two-day battle at Rolling Hills. The team race between Cherry Creek, Arapahoe, Lakewood and Ralston Valley should also be fun to track.
Others to watch: Ralston Valley’s Gage Messingham is the top-ranked 5A player according to iWanamker rankings, Lakewood’s Ryan Liao has finished in the top four in the last two years of the 5A tournament and Prairie View’s Jeff Nelson has put together some of the best rounds in the state during the course of the regular season.
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Class 4A
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Course: Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs
Weather forecast: Sunny, temperatures in mid-to-high 70’s (both days)
Outlook: After winning the last three team championships, Montrose is going to have its work cut out for it this year. Micah Stangebye is gone but Jordan Jennings has done a great job of leading the team as a senior. The individual race should be an intriguing one as Discovery Canyon’s Kaden Ford and Northfield’s Hunter Swanson return after tying for second place. Lewis-Palmer’s Greg Lewis was right there as a sophomore and has only gotten better in the last year. The team race could come down to host Cheyenne Mountain battling it out with the likes of Mullen, Pueblo West and Windsor.
Others to watchk: Falcon’s Reese Knox has been on fire lately as has Coronado’s Noah Keller. Frederick’s Jake Chesler has been steady all year and Durango junior Levi Tichi has found himself under par on several occasions.
Weather forecast: Sunny, temperatures in low 70’s (both days)
Outlook: The 3A tournament certainly brings the most collective talent from the widest range across the state. Aspen’s Nic Pevny finished with in a three-way tie for third with Kent Denver’s Jeffrey Zhou and Stering’s Tayleb Schaefer at the end of last year’s tournament. All three competitors are back which means the second day of the tournament could look more like a men’s club Friday night shootout than a final round of stroke play. Aspen, Kent Denver, St. Mary’s, Sterling and Vail Christian will all have a shot to make a run at a team title and it could be the results on the first day that could put either of those teams in the driver seat.
Others to watchk: Montezuma-Cortez’s Thayer Plewe has more poise on a golf course as a sophomore than most men have in their 30’s. He’s looking to keep his hand steady and play his way into contention. Primero’s Lance Peters has shown no fear when feeling the need to pull driver out of his bag. The narrow fairways of Dos Rios might give some players pause before going for the big dog, but if Peters has a spot in mind and needs driver to get there, he’ll waste no time swinging away.
PUEBLO WEST — As Falcon’s Reese Knox walked off the ninth green at Desert Hawk golf course, he looked to his dad and complained about his putting.
So on the back nine, he decided to hole shots out rather than putt them. In a two-hole span he hit one fairway, one green in regulation and just a single putt while shaving three strokes of his score. By the time he got to the clubhouse he had carded a 3-under-par 69 to claim the Class 4A Region 1 title.
A big piece of that round came as he chipped in for eagle at the par-5 12th and holed out from a greenside bunker on 13. That stretched helped him fall back to around even where Coronado’s Noah Keller lingered most of the day.
“On the front I was lipping (putts) out a bit,” Knox said. “By the time I got to the back I just decided I was going to play golf and not worry about the score. I started playing and just fell into the moment. I started chipping in and getting some lucky breaks.”
His approach shot from the rough on No. 2 landed inches from the hole for his first birdie of the day, but his ensuing tee shot was out of bounds resulting in a double-bogey. He bogeyed No. 4 before making a birdie on the par-3 fifth and eventually made the turn at 1-over. He played the first six holes on the back at 4-under with a par and a bogey before coasting to three pars in the final three holes.
Pueblo West held off Falcon by three strokes to claim the team regional championship. The Cyclones got solid performances from Toby Sailnas and Noah Wagner at last year’s 4A tournament at the Bridges. They’ll head to the Country Club of Colorado looking to make another run at a state title and coach Dan Sanchez thinks the experience from last year is key.
“In all high school sports, if you’ve been in those pressure situations and you’ve felt the struggle, to me that’s what it’s all about,” Sanchez said.
It was announced last week that the 4A state tournament was moving to the Country Club of Colorado but for several players from all around the state, there is a feeling of excitement when it comes to qualifying for the tournament and getting a chance to play a new venue with new players to compete with.
“Today was fun, I had never really met these guys,” Durango junior Levi Tichi said. “I had played (Eisenhower) once or twice, it was my freshman year regional course. I was happy to hear about the change to the Country Club of Colorado because I’ve been struggling with putting all year.”
Not that the greens at CC of C are a cakewalk, but Eisenhower has proven to be one of the toughest putting courses in all of the front range. Regardless of the venue, the qualifiers from the Desert Hawk regional will get back to work on Tuesday with an eye on competing at state.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
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Regionals elsewhere:
St. Mary’s claims team title at 3A Region 2
With two players finishing in the top three, St. Mary’s came away with a regional team title at Murphy Creek. Kent Denver’s Jeffrey Zhou shot 73 to claim medalist honors.
Sterling and Eaton send teams to Dos Rios
Sterling and Eaton each grabbed a pair of top 10 finishers at 3A Region 3 at Boomerang Golf Links. The Tigers won the team title as senior Trey Kuntz finished second overall with a 73. Strasburg’s Jacob Gilbert won the individual title.
Ford tames Country Club of Colorado
Discovery Canyon’s Kaden Ford was laughing the last time he played the Country Club of Colorado, calling it the “worst ball-striking day of my life.”
The result was much better at regionals. Ford claimed the individual championship at the Country Club of Colorado. Cheyenne Mountain won the team title as Ponderosa took second.
Rock Canyon’s team finishes under par at Raccoon Creek
Nick Fallin led the way with a 65 as Rock Canyon grabbed the individual and team regional titles at Raccoon Creek. Overall, five players shot under par at the tournament.
Ralston Valley’s Gage Messingham led Ralston Valley with a 67 and the Mustangs finished second to get their team to state.
Fossil Ridge edges Pine Creek at Hyland Hills
Lengend’s Ryan Parker claimed the 5A Northern regional title at Hyland Hills with a 71. Pine Creek’s Wesley Erling matched him, but ultimately finished second.
Fossil Ridge claimed the team title by beating out Pine Creek by just two strokes.
COLORADO SPRINGS — Gavin Hutter is hoping he’s the start of something much bigger. Sand Creek hasn’t been known for its tennis program and has actually been shut out of the Class 4A state boys tennis tournament for the last six years.
He changed all that on Thursday when he advanced to the 4A Region 6 No. 1 singles championship match. No matter the result, Sand Creek had a qualifier for the first time since 2014.
Hutter battled for three sets but fell to Cheyenne Mountain’s Robbie Metz 6-2, 2-6, 6-0 to come away as the runner-up. As a sophomore, he’ll have two more chances at regional titles but it’s his advancement to state that he hopes will light a spark for his program.
“I’m trying to grow this program here,” Hutter said. “We’ve been overshadowed by so many teams for such a long time. It’s time we put our name on the map.”
Coach Pam Rogers sees Hutter as a kid that can get Sand Creek’s name on the tennis map. Despite his youth, he’s one of the more experienced kids in the program and sets the tone from a leadership perspective on and off the court.
She explains it in a way that makes playing with Hutter both challenging and enticing.
He’s the kind of kid of that gets his teammates wanting to improve and wanting to live up to the standard that he sets for himself and for the team.
“I’m a captain as a sophomore,” he said. “I’ve been told that’s pretty impressive. I think the guys like me and I’m trying to do the best I can to be a good leader.”
Unfortunately he’ll be the only member of his team playing at next week’s state tennis tournament at Pueblo City Park. He knows the competition there will be better than anything he’s seen this year and points to regionals and a tough Cheyenne Mountain team as a reason that he may just surprise some people.
If his match against Metz is any indication, Hutter doesn’t plan on being an easy win for anyone playing at state.
“He’s a tough player,” Hutter said. “He’s one of the toughest players I’ve played against all season. Cheyenne Mountain is a really good school and playing against these players will help me do the best I can at state.”
Cheyenne Mountain came away the big winner of the day, claiming regional championships in all seven positions. The team heads to Pueblo with a full squad full intent on defending the state championship it won a year ago.
Air Academy played for six championships and will send every position except for No. 1 singles to state next week.
As for Hutter, he’s excited to compete at Pueblo City Park and step on the court with the best players in the state. It’s a fitting end to a successful season for him.
“This year has been a lot of fun,” he said. “These matches are fun. High school tennis is a ton of fun. Even if I win or lose, I’m having fun the entire time.”
COLORADO SPRINGS — Bethany Michalak took a quick glance at her watch as she neared the finish line at the Norris Penrose Event Center.
Yet, the announcement of her time still came as shock. At 17 minutes, 27.5 seconds, she had blitzed the field on the first day of the Cheyenne Mountain Stampede cross country meet.
She crossed the line with her hand over mouth, trying to process what had just happened.
“I was not expecting that at all,” she said. “I’ve run a 17:36 on a flat course so my goal today was to be at 18:30 or lower.”
She erred on the side of lower. Not since the days of Katie Rainsberger has an Air Academy runner been so dominant at Norris Penrose.
Her general running strategy has even benefitted her at the same venue where she’s hoping to capture state gold. She’s familiar with the course, having seen it several times before stepping in the door of Air Academy High School. All it took was putting plan to action and it turned out better than she could have hoped for.
“I like to go really fast to create some distance and get my speed going,” she said. “Ive trained on this course a lot, so that second mile area I know really well. I just give it my all.”
The Stampede serves as the pre-state meet and although it’s typically held earlier in the season, it will be a vital glimpse of the State course ahead of October’s championship run.
Friday’s races featured the top Colorado Springs Class 4A boys and girls runners. They went a day ahead so that the meet could comply with COVID-19 mandates and still have a full meet on Saturday.
Cheyenne Mountain’s Erik Le Roux won the boys race, crossing the finish line in 15:48, 41 seconds faster than Palmer Ridge Colby Schultz.
But the star of the day was Michalak who is quickly emerging as one of the top freshmen not just in Colorado, but the entire country.
Her win at Norris Penrose gave her plenty of confidence not just in her ability to run the course at a winning speed, but also maintain a pace that keeps other competitors at a comfortable distance behind her.
She’s looking forward to running the trail again next month.
“I would love to hit that time, if not faster, at state,” she said. “I was not expecting that at all today so I’m just hoping I can be right there.”
The Cheyenne Mountain Stampede continues on Saturday as teams across the state will get their preview of how the course will be laid out in October. Saturday’s slate will kick off at 9:45 a.m. with the 4A boys run.
