The GHS girls golf team faced treacherous bunkers and slim fairways at the state championship at the Pueblo Country Club on May 19 and 20. As a team, the Cowboys placed 14th against the state’s top schools.
Despite shooting higher-than-normal scores, all four varsity players gained experience playing at the pinnacle of the high school level. Head Coach Kevin Mickelson said the players learned how to navigate the golf course under higher pressure, and make confident swings with an increased heartbeat.
“Regardless of the outcome and the scores that they shot, the experience is priceless,” Mickelson said. “We didn’t perform the way we wanted to, but you can’t get the feel of a state championship unless you’re actually there.”
Heading into the season finale, the Cowboys had already suffered an early setback. Because graduation fell on the same day, the girls couldn’t travel to Pueblo for the practice round. However, the course's tree-lined fairways were reminiscent of the cottonwoods at Dos Rios Golf Club in Gunnison. The Cowboys boasted handfuls of practice rounds at their home course, and knew how to play within the confines of claustrophobic fairways.
But it wasn’t the fairways that haunted the girls during the two-day tournament. The course guarded each green with cavernous bunkers, and often, the greens themselves sat elevated, like an “upside-down paper plate,” Mickelson said. The course architecture tested the Cowboys’ finesse around the greens, and also raised scores for the entire field.
Cowboy No. 1 seed Aiden Tomlin started the championship with an opening round score of 90. The junior, who took first place at the Cowboy Invite this season, added nine strokes the following day to finish 22nd overall. Faith Pederson finished right behind her, shooting 109, and then 124 to take 69th in the field.
Rounding out the Cowboy roster, Norah Abila and Althea Stansbery each made their first appearances at the state championship. Abila started off with a 133, but shed over 20 strokes off her score the following day to shoot a 108. Stanbery finished with a 125 and 124 to complete her sophomore season.
Now the Cowboys will enjoy summer rounds at Dos Rios, and continue tinkering with their swings and making strides ahead of next spring.
“Tournaments like this motivate you to play more and work on your game more in the summertime, if you truly want to get back to playing at that level,” Mickelson said. “I'm looking forward to the future with this group, and to see them refine the talents that they already have, and improve on their weaknesses.”
(Alex McCrindle can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or alex@gunnisontimes.com.)
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