This year’s girls state high school golf tournaments will definitely have a different feel to them.
After all, it’s been a full decade since there’s been no former individual state champions in the field for either the 5A or 4A girls tourneys — until now. This year, for the first time since 2006, it’s a guarantee going into state that no one will repeat as an individual champion in either classification. Last year’s winners, Jennifer Kupcho of Jefferson Academy (4A) and Gillian Vance of Dakota Ridge (5A) are now both college players, Kupcho at Wake Forest and Vance at the University of Colorado. And all the earlier state champs have also graduated.
In other words, both of this year’s tournaments will be far more wide-open affairs than usual.
CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora will host the 5A tournament May 23-24, just after the women’s NCAA Division II finals conclude at the facility. And Pueblo Country Club will be the site for the 4A tournament on the same days.
At CommonGround, the favorites will include Mary Weinstein and Jaclyn Murray of Regis Jesuit, Morgan Sahm and Amy Chitkoksoong of Grandview, Delaney Elliott of Monarch, Jennifer Hankins of Legacy, Madison McCambridge of Fairview, Alexis Chan of Rock Canyon, and Joanna Kempton and Delaney Benson of Heritage. Weinstein (pictured), who placed seventh last year, was the 2015 CWGA Junior Player of the Year after winning the CWGA Junior Stroke Play and finishing second at the open-division CWGA Stroke Play. Sahm, a top-10 finisher each of her first three state tournaments, and Chan tied for third in last year’s weather-shortened 5A meet.
Team-wise, Regis will be seeking its third consecutive state title and its fifth in the last seven years.
In the 4A meet at Pueblo CC, among the top players are Erin Sargent of Silver Creek, Kiselya Plewe of Montezuma-Cortez (playing for Dolores), Caroline Jordaan and Kacey Godwin of Colorado Academy, Hannah More of Mullen and Lauren Murphy of Glenwood Springs. Sargent, the highest returning player after placing third last year, qualified for the 2015 U.S. Women’s Amateur and will play college golf at the University of Wyoming.
Cheyenne Mountain will be attempting to win its fourth straight 4A state team championship.
Here are the team and individual champions from the 5A and 4A regional state-qualifying tournaments:
5A Northern at Ptarmigan CC — Team: Monarch 243; Individual: Joanna Kempton, Heritage, 71.
5A Central at South Suburban GC — Team: Regis Jesuit 237; Individual: Sarah Hunt, Denver East, 72.
5A Western at Tiara Rado GC — Team: Rock Canyon 220; Individual: Brandy McClain, Rock Canyon, 71.
5A Southern at Colorado Springs CC — Team: Ralston Valley 239; Individual: Jordan Remley, Ralston Valley, 73.
4A Western at Yampa Valley GC — Team: Rifle 358; Individual: Elly Walters, Rifle, 73.
4A Metro-West at Fox Hollow GC — Team: Colorado Academy 229; Individual: Caroline Jordaan, Colorado Academy, 72.
4A Northern at Saddleback GC — Team: (tie) Windsor and Northridge 279; Individual: Erin Sargent, Silver Creek, 74.
4A Colorado Springs at CC of Colorado — Team: Cheyenne Mountain 243; Individual: (tie) Regina Dillon, Cheyenne Mountain, and Kelsey McKenna, Air Academy, 78.
4A Southern at Steamboat Springs GC — Team: (tie) Pueblo County and Pueblo South 277; Individual: Sophia Montoya, Pueblo South, 78.
For tee times for the state tournaments: 5A at CommonGround, 4A at Pueblo CC.
