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.
DENVER — The Montrose boys golf team is heading back to the Class 4A state tournament after winning their fifth straight regional championship.
As a team, Montrose shot a combined score of 236. Summit took second with a 244, good enough to also send a team to state .Steamboat Springs third at 249 and Green Mountain fourth at 252.
Northfield’s Hunter Swanson claimed the individual championship by shooting a bogey-free 5-under-par 67. Montrose was led by Jordan Jennings who shot 74.
Jennings’ teammate, freshman Noah Richmond and Summit’s Ryley Cibula each shot 76 to finish in a tie for third.
“I am extremely happy with our team and that they captured another regional championship,” Montrose Coach Steve Skiff said. “Green Valley Ranch was a tough golf course, but the boys stayed patient and kept battling all day. I am also very proud of our senior leader Jordan Jennings who finished second with a 74.
Jordan played a very solid round of golf today and hit the ball well.He is such a great leader for us. Noah Richmond got off to a slow start, but stayed with the course and finished with a strong 76. (Sophomores) Jake Legg and Rocco Manuel grinded all day long and (both) shot 86. We are very excited to qualify the team again for the state tournament and look forward to playing Country Club of Colorado on Oct. 5 & 6.”
Montrose has claimed the last three 4A team titles and is looking to make it four in a row. Last year’s individual champion, Micah Stangebye, is gone, but this crop of player knows all they needed to do was to qualify to give themselves a shot. They have the experience of playing at a big-level event and can’t wait to once again defend their title.
“I’m just excited that we got our whole team to state,” Jordan Jennings said. “We need to buckle down these next few weeks to get our games sharp for state.”
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Around the state:
Aspen conquers River Valley Ranch
Aspen’s Nic Penvy bogeyed the final hole at River Valley Ranch in Carbondale to shoot 73, but he was still two shots clear of Vail Christian’s Ross Anderson in claiming a regional championship. Both Aspen and Vail Christian qualified full teams for the 3A state tournament at Dos Rios in Gunnison.
Montezuma-Cortez’s Plewe goes low at Hollydot
Thayer Plewe wasn’t messing around when it came to qualifying for state. The Montezuma-Cortez sophomore pounded Hollydot into submission by firing a 65 to claim a regional title.
Colorado Academy had all four players finish in the top 12 to claim the team title and send a full squad to Dos Rios.
Mullen, Riverdale Ridge get teams out of Quail Dunes
Mullen’s Mario Dino had a bit of an adventurous round but finished his day at even par to claim the individual championship at Region 3 at Quail Dunes. The Mustangs also claimed the team title as Rhett Johnson and Andrew Brady claimed top 16 finishes.
Riverdale Ridge was the team runner-up and its squad of Will Balliet, Aiden Sweeney and Bradley Weinmaster will all head to the Country Club of Colorado in less than two weeks.
COLORADO SPRINGS — Liberty’s Hayden Woelk knew he he needed to make par on the home hole to give himself a chance. A fortunate bounce off his tee shot put him 152 yards out from the 18th pin at the Colorado Springs Country Club.
Ever so smoothly, he drew back his 8-iron and flushed it, sending his ball on a path directly toward the flagstick. It hit about 10 feet and he would two-putt to finish with a 1-under-par 70 to claim medalist honors at the Doherty Spartan Invite.
He would’ve like to make his birdie putt, but it was his approach shot that all but guaranteed his victory. He knew it when the ball was in the air and let loose a saucy club twirl, the golfer’s language meaning the ball is Lansing at or near the intended target. It was so good that new Liberty coach Tom Carricato smiled and told Woelk “you hit a shot like that, you can spin the club however you want.”
The junior hit 13 of 14 fairways through the day, including a bomb of a drive off the seventh tee. He rarely got himself into trouble and he worked his way around the track more efficiently than any other golfer in attendance.
“I knew I was hitting the ball well enough enough to play well today,” he said. “I struggled on No. 8 a bit and made double, but I was putting well and I knew I was hitting well to score a good round today.”
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)The Spartan Invite was the first golf tournament for a lot of Colorado Springs metro area schools. With a bit of an adjustment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teammates were grouped together as opposed to being spread out and paired with players from other teams who perhaps had similar skill sets.
“It’s hard and it’s kind of hard to focus,” St. Mary’s senior Peter Stinar said. “You’re around all your buddies and it’s definitely different. It doesn’t feel like a tournament as much as it does just playing a round with your friends.”
It wouldn’t be a surprise if teammates were paired regularly throughout the course of the season, but that will not be the case at regionals or state.
The trick for the kids is having to adjust to playing with the same guys that they practice with in some tournaments while playing in a more traditional format in others. The team groupings worked well for Cheyenne Mountain, who shot 222 as a team to claim the team championship at the event for the second year around.
“This group is close,” Cheyenne Mountain coach John Carricato said. “They’re a tight group, they compete with each other and they also do it in the right way where they encourage and they’re their No. 1 cheerleaders. From a coaching perspective, I loved seeing that camaraderie.”
Pine Creek sophomore Wesley Erling had a bit of an up and down day but put together a round of 71 to be one of two players at even or better. He erased a double-bogey on No. 3 with back-to-back birdies on eight and nine. His lone birdie on the back nine came on the par-5 15th, but he followed it up with a bogey on 16.
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Durango’s Tichi overcomes slow start to claim Wildcat Invitational
According to Durango junior Levi Tichi, opening his round with a bogey is his signature move. Oddly, it makes him feel more comfortable.
Just for good measure at the Fruita Monument Wildcat Invitational he opted for two bogeys in the first three holes.
Then he got serious. He went five under over his next six holes at Adobe Creek National Golf Course, including an eagle on the par-5 fifth. He finished the day with a 67 to get a big win in the young boys golf season.
“I knew I had to be pretty patient and wait for birdies and not push too much,” he said. “I made that birdie on four and hit my approach to like three feet. I followed that up with an eagle and I chipped it in. That chip-in was when I knew I was starting to play well.”
Tichi was the only Demon under par and the team finished second overall to Montrose, the three-time defending state champions. Grand Junction senior Carson Kerr (71) was the only other individual to play the Wildcat Invitational under par.
The Be The Light, Colorado movement continued to spread through the end of its first week with an inspirational display of Friday Night Lights in April.
The movement seeks to provide a beacon of hope for students during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has closed schools and put the season on hold. Schools and school districts are lighting their stadiums as a way to show students they are in our hearts and on our minds.
MELONEER NATION!! We miss all of you. These lights symbolize our hope, faith, and love for all of you! You have our support. Be safe, be smart, and we will "see" you again next Friday!! pic.twitter.com/nXxM3zK9qs
We miss you, we love you and tonight the lights turned on for you. Here’s to the best community of students, teachers, staff and families! Stay Home and Stay Safe. The lights were on at 20:20 military time for our SENIORS! #BeTheLightCO@CHSAA@9Preps@Valoreagles@CoachBonnpic.twitter.com/LT7EZJ2Otq
— Valor Christian Athletics (@ValorAthletics) April 4, 2020
Savage stadium lit up for our student athletes. We miss seeing your performances and hope you are all well. When normalcy returns we look forward to seeing you under these lights and at our other facilities. #BeTheLightCO@CHSAApic.twitter.com/NROIsOTEwD
As a beacon of hope, the lights of North Stadium shine bright tonight for all @Adams12 student-athletes who had their seasons cut short. 💙🖤 We can never bring back their lost seasons, but the memories they brought us will forever live on in our hearts. #BeTheLightCO#COprepspic.twitter.com/kg20v2Vnve
— Mountain Range HS (@MountainRangeHS) April 4, 2020
Voted upon by coaches and select media members around the state. These rankings have no bearing on postseason seeding.
Coaches and media members looking to vote should email rcasey@chsaa.org.
Class 5A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Cherry Creek (3)
0-0
86
2
Regis Jesuit (4)
0-0
80
3
Heritage (2)
0-0
79
4
Rocky Mountain
0-0
61
5
Mountain Vista (1)
0-0
57
6
Valor Christian
0-0
36
7
Grandview
0-0
30
8
Rock Canyon
0-0
29
9
Douglas County
0-0
28
10
Legacy
0-0
20
Others receiving votes:
Chaparral 16, Pine Creek 16, Legend 14, Ralston Valley 14, ThunderRidge 11, Fort Collins 10, Boulder 5, Poudre 4, Windsor 3, Lakewood 2, Vista PEAK Prep 2, Arapahoe 1, Broomfield 1.
Class 4A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Cheyenne Mountain (4)
0-0
95
2
Pueblo West (5)
0-0
87
3
Silver Creek (1)
0-0
69
4
Holy Family
0-0
45
5
Fort Morgan
0-0
36
6
Golden
0-0
34
7
Longmont
0-0
28
8
Ponderosa
0-0
22
9
Wheat Ridge
0-0
21
10
Montrose
0-0
20
Others receiving votes:
Erie 18, Palmer Ridge 17, Lewis-Palmer 14, Roosevelt 12, Skyview 11, Air Academy 10, Canon City 10, Discovery Canyon 8, Falcon 8, Pueblo Central 8, Denver West 7, The Classical Academy 6, Palisade 5, Pueblo South 5, Evergreen 4, Centaurus 3, Sierra 1.
Class 3A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
University (5)
0-0
89
2
Eaton (2)
0-0
84
3
Resurrection Christian (3)
0-0
81
4
Lutheran
0-0
67
5
Sterling
0-0
43
6
Colorado Academy
0-0
34
7
Delta
0-0
31
8
La Junta
0-0
21
9
Alamosa
0-0
20
10
Peak to Peak
0-0
19
Others receiving votes:
Faith Christian 14, St. Mary’s 14, Brush 11, Bennett 4, Kent Denver 4, Manitou Springs 4, Jefferson Academy 2, Lamar 2.
Class 2A
RK
TEAM
W-L
PTS
1
Peyton (6)
0-0
74
2
Rye
0-0
59
3
Fowler
0-0
55
4
Yuma
0-0
53
5
Holly (3)
0-0
50
6
Limon
0-0
39
7
Wiggins
0-0
37
8
Dayspring Christian Academy
0-0
19
9
Dawson School
0-0
16
10
Calhan
0-0
14
Others receiving votes:
Sargent 13, Front Range Christian 11, Hotchkiss 10, Burlington 9, Dolores 8, Wray 8, Holyoke 6, Paonia 4, Denver Christian 3, Highland 3, Clear Creek 2, Rocky Ford 2.
MONTROSE — No. 25 Lincoln boys basketball beat Montrose on the road in the Class 4A Sweet 16 on Wednesday.
“I thought the guys handled the hostile environment pretty well,” Lincoln coach Dre Calloway said. “Montrose played a great game. It’s hard to try and beat a team in an elimination game two years in a row, but I was pleased with the team’s effort and focus.”
Lincoln held a slim 11-8 lead after the first quarter, and pushed that lead to 20-13 at the break. It was 29-19 through three quarters, and Lincoln built up a 38-24 advantage with 2:11 to play. They won 43-32.
“What led to the win was our mentality to staying disciplined,” Lincoln senior Ty Foster said. “We stayed together as a family and everyone knew their role as we’ve all accepted our role on this team.”
Foster led Lincoln with 17 points. Tijani Bamba had 13, and Emiliano Rodriguez had seven.
Montrose was led by Trey Schwerdtfeger, who had eight points. Luke Hutto and Jordan Jennings had six apiece. Sean Alex and Trey Reese each had five.
“Proud of my team’s effort and fight tonight,” Montrose coach Ryan Voehringer said. “I thought we played extremely well defensively to hold a great team in Lincoln to 43 points. We just couldn’t get any shots to drop on the offensive end. Credit Lincoln and it’s defensive pressure. That had a lot to do with us not making shots. I wish Lincoln all the best as they move forward in the tournament. Proud of my guys for the great season we had.”