Voted upon by coaches around the state. New voters can sign up by emailing rcasey@chsaa.org. These rankings are part of the postseason seeding process.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Vista PEAK Prep (6)
0-0
66
2
Denver East (1)
0-0
49
3
Rangeview (1)
0-0
46
4
Westminster
0-0
39
5
Denver South
0-0
34
6
Far Northeast
0-0
31
7
Boulder
0-0
30
8
Fort Collins
0-0
28
Others receiving votes:
Mountain Range 14, Northglenn 4, Hinkley 3
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Thomas Jefferson (2)
0-0
58
2
Harrison (2)
0-0
54
3
Falcon
0-0
45
4
Denver North
0-0
31
5
Lincoln (1)
0-0
29
6
Skyview
0-0
26
7
Aurora Central
0-0
25
8
Gateway
0-0
24
Others receiving votes:
Sierra 18, Centaurus 13, George Washington 12, Kennedy 5
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Basalt (3)
0-0
45
2
Rifle (1)
0-0
37
3
The Classical Academy
0-0
33
4
Faith Christian
0-0
28
5
Aspen (1)
0-0
23
6
Glenwood Springs
0-0
18
7
Kent Denver
0-0
12
8
Northfield (1)
0-0
10
Others receiving votes:
Steamboat Springs 4, The Academy 3, Salida 1, Sand Creek 1, Denver West 1
Evergreen senior Sarah Allen sprints toward the finish to win the Class 4A Jeffco League individual girls title Thursday in Arvada. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
ARVADA — Green Mountain senior Grahm Tuohy-Gaydos and Evergreen senior Sarah Allen have made the most of their opportunities so far this cross country season.
Tuohy-Gaydos and Allen claimed the individual titles at the Class 4A Jeffco League Cross Country Championships held Thursday at Standley Lake Basketball Barn in Arvada.
Golden sophomore Lily Mourer finished second to help the Demons to the girls conference team title. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“The course is deceitful,” Allen said after her time of 19 minutes, 35 seconds which was 15 seconds faster than Golden sophomore Lily Mourer who finished second. “You’ll think you’ll be going pretty fast because it is pretty flat, but with all the grass and uneven texture it’s pretty slow and hard.”
It has been a tough prep career for Allen. She didn’t make varsity her freshman year and then came down with bronchitis her sophomore year. Last year, she suffered stress fractures that prevented her from running for a second straight season.
“This is the first time of making it to this point,” Allen said, who has won all seven cross country races she has entered this season. “I’m really proud of it. Running is my favorite thing. Getting to this point feels so rewarding.”
Allen was able to pull away from Mourer and Standley Lake senior Sophia Abernethey — both returning first-time all-conference runners — to keep momentum heading into regionals next week.
“I really want to keep up with the faster girls,” Allen said of moving into regionals for the Cougars on Oct. 8 in Gypsum. “The girls at regionals are really good.”
Golden’s girls just edged D’Evelyn by two points to win the team title. Mourer and junior Meredith Overton finished in the Top-5 to pace the Demons.
On the boys side, Tuohy-Gaydos continued his extremely successful prep running career at Green Mountain. He will go down as one of the most decorated boys runners in 4A Jeffco history. He finished Top-10 at the league championships as a freshman before winning three straight individual conference titles.
Green Mountain senior Grahm Tuohy-Gaydos won his third straight Class 4A Jeffco League individual title with a sub-16 minute time Thursday. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“It’s really rare and I’m really lucky to be able to do that,” Tuohy-Gaydos said of his three-peat.
Tuohy-Gaydos has won every race he has entered this Fall and continued his streak on Thursday. However, the senior is more focused on the team goals for the Rams.
“Really when it comes to these races it’s not really about getting a time. It’s about helping the team,” Tuohy-Gaydos said after his time of 15:59.7 claimed the 4A Jeffco boys individual championship. “My time was sub-16 which on a course like this with a lot of surface changes and hills, I’m pretty happy with it.”
Green Mountain was just edged out by Conifer for the team title. The Lobos were paced by seniors Zack Gacnik, Topi Alahuhta and junior Isaac Vanwestrienen. The Conifer trio all placed in the Top-5 to give the Lobos 38 team points. Green Mountain finished with 42.
“Our team goal this year is to qualify for state,” Grahm Tuohy-Gaydos said. “For me, my individual goals are all intertwined with that. Whatever I can do to help my team qualify for state and win races is my goal.”
The Jeffco League Cross Country Championships did look different with 4A teams competing Thursday and 5A teams running the same course coming up Friday afternoon. Normally both 5A and 4A run on the same day, but due to COVID guidelines the championships had to be split into two days.
Tuohy-Gaydos is extremely grateful of the cross country season during the current pandemic.
“I’m really appreciate CHSAA for one, allowing us to race. That is first and foremost,” Tuohy-Gaydos said. “I didn’t know if I was going to be able to run this year as a senior. It makes me feel happy that people are following mask rules. I’m somebody who has family members that are high risk. I appreciate for what everyone is doing.”
Ralston Valley’s boys golf team captured the Class 5A Jeffco League title Monday at West Woods Golf Club in Arvada. The Mustangs will host the Western Regional on Monday, Sept. 21, at Raccoon Creek Golf Course in Littleton. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
ARVADA — The final Jeffco League boys golf tournament of the season had a very different feel than normal Monday afternoon at West Woods Golf Club in Arvada.
There was no final gathering of Class 5A and 4A Jeffco teams to hand out individual all-conference awards and league team titles due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, golfers were able to successfully finish off the final Jeffco League tournament of the season.
“I’m very pleased with how it turned out,” Ralston Valley boys golf coach Jeff Wasinger said. “There is a little letdown at the end of the tournament, even today. You finish your round, turn in your scorecard electrically and then go home. But we were allowed to play and actually had a season.”
Ralston Valley junior Gage Messingham hits his approach shot on No. 1 Monday morning at West Woods GC. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Ralston Valley wrapped up the 5A Jeffco League team title with the strong team of seniors Jack Larson, Trey Kirschner, junior Gage Messingham, along with sophomores Jordan McCaslin and Logan Forister. Messingham clinched the overall individual medalist title with a 4-under-par, 68.
Messingham edged Lakewood senior Ryan Liao by two strokes over the five league tournaments.
“It means a lot,” Messingham said of the Mustangs winning the league title. “Last year we couldn’t do it, but this year our team played really well throughout the season and pulled it off.”
The Mustangs were able to hold off Lakewood thanks to Messingham and Kirschner both finishing in a three-way tie for second with round of 68. Liao also shot a 68. Larson fired an even-par, 72 to finished tied for sixth.
“It’s a feel good thing. We set that out as a goal,” Wasinger said of Ralston Valley winning the league team title. “We knew we had a good team and it was kind of building over the years.”
The 5A Jeffco League proved to be one of the strongest conferences in the state. In fact, a round in the 60s was shot during each of the five league tournaments. Arvada West senior Tyler Tyson, Columbine senior Drex Duffy, Lakewood junior Max Lange, Liao Messingham, Larson and Kirschner were the seven individuals who all had at least one round in the 60s this season during league play.
“They are opening peoples’ eyes,” Wasinger said of the play of the top 5A Jeffco players this Fall. “Jeffco golf really has some powerful teams and impressive players. Going into regionals there is no reason to fear anybody.”
Ralston Valley will host the 5A Western Regional on Monday, Sept. 21, at Raccoon Creek Golf Course in Littleton.
“Of course we have to focus on regionals and qualifying as a team,” Messingham said. “Hopefully we win state. It is at a course we all know. Hopefully we can pull it off.”
The 5A state tournament will be Oct. 5 and 6 at The Club in Rolling Hills in Golden.
Lange — last year’s 5A Jeffco individual medalist — won the final league tournament with a 5-under-par, 67 at West Woods. The Lakewood junior will enter the 5A Central Regionals at Overland Golf Course on Wednesday, Sept. 23, coming off back-to-back tournament wins with rounds of 68 and 67 to close out league play.
“I didn’t have the greatest league season,” admitted Lange, who shot a 75 and 77 in his first two league tournaments. “I wish I would have shot 10-under today, but I’m not too disappointed with 5-under.”
Lange is excited about the location of the 5A state tournament in three weeks.
Lakewood junior Max Lange head to regionals next week after back-to-back rounds in the 60s to close out conference play. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“I’m going to try to finish (regionals and state) how I finished my league season,” Lange said. “State will be at my home course at Rolling Hills. I play there every day.”
Liao — 5A Jeffco individual medalist as a freshman and sophomore — finished just behind Messingham for the title this season. The Lakewood senior has had back-to-back Top-4 finishes at the state tournament that past two years.
With Liao’s history, he is very capable of contending with a number of other strong Jeffco players at state coming up the first week of October.
“I was actually honestly expecting this low of golf scores last year,” Liao said of Jeffco. “Everyone had the talent last year. No one was really playing that well. Now this year everyone is playing to what they are supposed to and it’s looking good.”
Liao is one of the longest hitting players in the state and he has some wishes for the setup at Rolling Hills in a few weeks.
“I hope they play it longer to make it a little tougher,” Liao said. “I know the greens will be tough. Overall it’s a great course.”
On the 4A Jeffco side, Evergreen captured the team title. Senior Jack Mitchell led the Cougars winning the final 4A Jeffco League tournament with a 2-over-par, 74.
Green Mountain senior Oliver Gibbons is this year’s 4A Jeffco League individual champion. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Green Mountain senior Oliver Gibbons just edged Conifer senior Dakota Dolph for the overall individual medalist title by a single stroke over the five tournaments. Gibbons shot a 76 and Dolph had a 77 on Monday at West Woods. Gibbons and Dolph entered the final conference tournament with identical 9-hole averages of 37.83 strokes.
No matter what happens at regionals and state. Jeffco can say it completed a success conference season that might have looked a bit different.
“We’ve got to be grateful that CHSAA gave this opportunity to us and we’ve had to adhere to the safety protocols that have been set. We didn’t want to mess it up,” Wasinger said. “CHSAA gave us a gift and we took it as a privilege.”
ARVADA — Friday at Indian Tree Golf Course was moving day of sorts for Class 5A and 4A Jeffco League boys golfers.
In the fourth of six scheduled Jeffco League tournaments, golfers made moves to position themselves for the final stretch that will determine individual and team titles.
Lakewood junior Max Lange, defending 5A Jeffco individual medalist, got himself in the mix to repeat as the conference champion. Lange shot the best round of the day with a 2-under-par, 68. The junior moved into seventh place for the individual medalist title.
Ralston Valley junior Gage Messingham and Lakewood senior Ryan Liao are leading the pack with Arvada West senior Tyler Tyson currently in third place. Ralston Valley senior Jack Larson, Columbine senior Drex Duffy and Ralston Valley senior Trey Kirschner are also still in the mix for the conference title. The top six golfers in 5A are separated by just 1-stroke when it comes to their 9-hole average.
Ralston Valley does have a sizable 47-shot lead in the team standings over second-place Lakewood.
In 4A, Conifer senior Dakota Dolph and Littleton junior Emmett Loomis tied for the individual title at Indian Tree. Both shot 5-over-par rounds of 75. Dolph and Green Mountain senior Oliver Gibbons are title atop of overall individual standings with a 9-hole average of 37.83.
The team race for the league title is just as tight. Evergreen and Green Mountain are tied with 1,310 total shots through the first four league tournaments.
The final two Jeffco League tournaments are scheduled for the Broadlands (Wednesday, Sept. 9) and West Woods Golf Course (Monday, Sept. 14). However, the possible winter storm that is forecasting from 5 to 8 inches of snow in the Denver Metro Area on Tuesday could cancel the tournament at Broadlands. If that becomes the case the individual and team titles will be decided at West Woods on Sept. 14.
LITTLETON — Nothing like a short putt for eagle to really spark an impressive round on the golf course.
Lakewood senior Ryan Liao — three-time Class 5A boys golf state qualifier — drained an eagle putt on the 517-yard, par 5 to finish his front-nine to really get his round going. The eagle on No. 9 was followed up with back-to-back birdies on No. 10 and 11 to get Liao to 5-under-par through his first 11 holes.
Lakewood senior Ryan Liao was the only golfer to shoot a round in the 60s Monday at Raccoon Creek Golf Course in Littleton. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Liao eventually finished with a 6-under-par, 66 to win individual medalist title in the second Class 5A Jeffco League tournament of the Fall season at Raccoon Creek Golf Course. He was the lone golfer to shoot under-par.
The Tigers finished eight strokes ahead of league-leading Ralston Valley in the second of six league tournaments. Ralston Valley’s Jordan McCaslin, Gage Messingham, Trey Kirschner, Jack Larson and Logan Forister all fired rounds in the 70s to keep the Mustangs atop the overall team standings in 5A.
Liao did overtake Arvada West senior Tyler Tyson for the overall individual lead in 5A Jeffco. Tyson followed up his impressive 63 last week at Applewood Golf Course with a round of 2-over-par, 74 on Monday.
Green Mountain senior Oliver Gibbons is the 4A Jeffco individual leader through two conference tournaments. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
On the 4A Jeffco side, Green Mountain seniors Oliver Gibbons (74) and Jack Policaro (76) finished 1-2 at Raccoon Creek. Gibbons and Policaro are also 1-2 in the overall individual 4A Jeffco standings. Conifer senior Dakota Dolph slipped into third place after an 81 on Monday.
Green Mountain holds a 16-stroke advantage over Evergreen in the race for the 4A Jeffco team title. Evergreen seniors Jake Dekoker (78) and Jack Mitchell (79) led the way for the Cougars.
The third Jeffco League tournament is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 25, at Broken Tee Golf Course in Littleton.
