There’s only one way to cap off an undefeated season, and Davis Bryant found out exactly how.

The Eaglecrest senior, who won every regular-season high school tournament in which he competed this season, then shared the regional title, fittingly finished things off with a victory in his final high school golf meet.

Bryant rallied from one behind going into Tuesday’s final round of the 5A tournament, pulling away on the back nine at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora for a two-stroke victory.

“I’ve been waiting for this for so long, it hasn’t quite sunk in yet,” said Bryant, the 5A runner-up last year. “I’m so excited and so happy that I could finally get the job done.

“This is probably the best (win) of my career because you’re playing against the best kids in the state and all different age levels.”

Also winning state titles on Tuesday were Darren Edwards of Thompson Valley in Class 4A at Raccoon Creek Golf Course in Littleton, and a second Davis, Davis Long of Peak to Peak, in the 3A tournament at Indian Peaks Golf Course, where Tuesday marked the only championship round after the course was saturated by rain on Monday. For more on those tournaments, see below.

At the 5A meet, Bryant parred the first 10 holes of Tuesday’s second round before making back-to-back birdies on 11 and 12 and parring his last six holes for a bogey-free 2-under-par 69. The future Colorado State University golfer finished at 3-under 139, two better than Fossil Ridge junior Dillon Stewart and three ahead of Grand Junction junior Canon Olkowski. Stewart and Olkowski both closed with 72s on Tuesday.

The three players in the final group — Bryant, Olkowski and first-round leader Stewart — were tied overall after the front nine on Tuesday. But after Olkowski eagled No. 11 from 4 feet and Bryant and Stewart two-putted there for birdie, Bryant made a move with a 25-foot uphill birdie putt on No. 12 that had to travel over a large hump before falling in (pictured above).

“Once I made the birdie putt on 12, that was huge,” he said. “That gave me a little momentum.”

The birdie pushed Bryant into a share of the lead with Stewart (left), the player he beat to win the Colorado Junior PGA title this year. But Stewart three-putted for bogey on No. 13 to fall out of the lead, missed a 7-foot birdie attempt at No. 14, then bogeyed 15 and 16.

Meanwhile, Olkowski had a wild ride in the middle of the round — going birdie, bogey, eagle, bogey, birdie in consecutive holes starting at No. 9 — before likewise losing ground to Bryant late on the back nine.

As for Bryant, he was grinding out six straight pars down the stretch, including with a 7-footer on No. 15 and long two-putts on 14 and 17.

“Once I had a little lead, I wanted to make them to have to chase me with birdies, and I wanted to make as many pars as I could,” he said.

For Bryant, the win adds another chapter to an impressive 2017 season. He’s won both of the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado majors in which he’s competed and he’s finished ninth individually at the Junior America’s Cup, 14th at the national Junior PGA and made it to the round of 64 at the U.S. Junior Amateur.

“I’d probably compare it to Jordan Spieth’s 2015 season (in which the PGA Tour player won the first two major championships before placing fourth in the British Open and second in the PGA Championship) a little bit,” Bryant said. “I’ve played so consistently since the beginning of April. The lowest (tournament round) I shot was 65 and the highest was 77. That feels pretty good. I started out strong (with a 65 at Todd Creek in May) and I finished strong.”

On Tuesday, he relied on his experience from the 2016 state tournament and the national events in which he’s competed this year.

“I learned from the experience last year against Kyle (Pearson of Highlands Ranch) and was able to make some of the par putts and grind it out a little better than I did last year,” Bryant said. “It was an awesome last two days.

“I think the summertime helped too — playing in those hard (national and international) tournaments with hard fields. And playing harder golf courses helped as well. Your mistakes are magnified when you play at those golf courses, so if you’re able to miss in the right spots, you give yourself shots at par. All the past experience, I was able to use and put together today. It feels really, really good to get the job done.”

Stewart, one of Bryant’s teammates on the Colorado Junior America’s Cup team this year, certainly wanted the title on Tuesday, but takes some consolation in the fact that he’ll get another crack at it next year.

“It’s obviously disappointing to take second,” he said. “I didn’t really play my best. Davis finished with a 69 today — that’s solid golf that he played and that’s pretty impressive to do that coming from behind.

“But putting myself in that position … and I still have one more year, so if I’m in this position again I can learn from what I did this year and move forward.”

In the 5A team race, Regis Jesuit (left) won for the third straight season, for the seventh time in the last eight years, and for the ninth time overall, tying the record for Colorado boys golf, set last year by Kent Denver.

This year’s Regis players included Cal McCoy, Cameron Kirke, Drew Anderson and Walker Fuller, with all but Fuller being seniors. McCoy has verbally committed to the University of Denver golf team.

“It’s a joy,” Regis coach Craig Rogers said. “I’m really happy, but especially this year because the senior class was about as good as I’ve ever seen. I think they felt a little extra pressure to make sure they didn’t have a letdown their senior year. So I’m a little more relieved because I knew we had the talent, but it’s golf and you never know what’s going to happen and there’s some great teams out here. So to see them complete the journey was really nice.”

With a 16-over-par 442 total, Regis finished seven strokes ahead of Cherry Creek and eight in front of third-place Grand Junction and Arapahoe.

Class 4A at Raccoon Creek: Thompson Valley senior Darren Edwards pulled away in the final round for a three-stroke victory in the individual competition. Edwards shot back-to-back rounds of 73 for a 2-over-par 146 total.

Edwards, who finished fourth at state last year, was 2 over for his first eight holes on Tuesday, but then birdied three of his next four to take control. He finished with three birdies and four bogeys in the final round.

Despite bogeying his final two holes, Barrett Jones of Eagle Valley posted the best score of the tournament, a 1-under-par 71, to tie for second place at 5-over 149. He made four birdies on Tuesday.

Also at 149 was Bridger Tenney of Evergreen, who birdied three of his final eight holes to shoot 74 on Tuesday.

Defending champion Luke Trujillo of Discovery Canyon finished 16th at 159.

In the team competition, 2016 runner-up Montrose won its second state title, besting Evergreen by six and Valor Christian by nine. The Indians, also champions in 2003, posted a two-day total of 34-over-par 466.

Class 3A at Indian Peaks: With the 3A meet being more of a sprint as an 18-hole tournament, Peak to Peak claimed both the individual and team titles.

Individually, sophomore Davis Long edged defending champion Oliver Jack of Kent Denver and Walker Franklin of Prospect Ridge. Long birdied the 16th and 18th holes — the latter from 15 feet — to shoot 3-under-par 69. He finished the day with six birdies and three bogeys.

Jack, who eagled the par-4 seventh hole after driving the green, was 4 under par through 11 holes, but double bogeyed No. 12 and played his final six holes in even. Franklin bogeyed his final hole — marking his only bogey of the day — for a 70.

But Long’s work for the day wasn’t yet done. He and his Peak to Peak teammates tied defending 3A state champion Kent Denver for top team honors at 1-over-par 217, then went to a playoff to decide a champion. Peak to Peak prevailed, winning its second state title in three years, this one at the Pumas’ home course. Kent Denver had been seeking an unprecedented 10th boys state golf championship.
 

Class 5A Top Finishers
At Par-71 CommonGround GC in Aurora
TEAM
Regis Jesuit 217-225–442
Cherry Creek 221-228–449
Arapahoe 228-222–450
Grand Junction 226-224–450
Denver East 229-228–457
INDIVIDUAL
Davis Bryant, Eaglecrest 70-69–139
Dillon Stewart, Fossil Ridge 69-72–141
Canon Olkowski, Grand Junction 70-72–142
Cal McCoy, Regis Jesuit 70-74–144
Tommy Parker, Arapahoe, 72-72–144
Connor Jones Mountain Range 72-74–146
Freddie Gluck, Boulder 73-73–146
Sam Blackwood, Heritage 71-75–146
Ryder Heuston, Fairview 72-74–146
Supawich (Beam) Boonta, Cherokee Trail 74-72–146

For complete 5A results, CLICK HERE.
 

Class 4A Top Finishers
At Par-72 Raccoon Creek GC in Littleton
TEAM
Montrose 233-233–466
Evergreen 238-234–472
Valor Christian 234-241–475
Palmer Ridge 240-238–478
Thompson Valley 249-237–486
INDIVIDUAL
Darren Edwards, Thompson Valley 73-73–146
Barrett Jones, Eagle Valley 78-71–149
Bridger Tenney, Evergreen 75-74–149
Micah Stangebye, Montrose 76-76–152
Jacob Smith, Rifle 77-75–152
Tyler Severin, Roosevelt 73-79–152
Jake Welch, Valor Christian 73-80–153
Jordan Jennings, Montrose 75-78–153
Wes Weber, Mountain View 77-77–154
Nathan Dwyer, Thompson Valley 79-75–154

For complete 4A results, CLICK HERE.
 

Class 3A Top Finishers
At Par-72 Indian Peaks GC in Lafayette
Note: Day 1 was rained out. Tournament was reduced to 18 holes.
TEAM
Peak to Peak 217 (won playoff)
Kent Denver 217
Aspen 224
Eaton 234
Colorado Academy 236

INDIVIDUAL
Davis Long, Peak to Peak 69
Oliver Jack, Kent Denver 70
Walker Franklin, Prospect Ridge 70
Thomas Messner, Coloradao Academy 73
Ian Thorpe, Peak to Peak 73
Dominic Lanese IV, Aspen 73
Peter Grossenbacher, Eaton 73
Jackson Klutznick, Kent Denver 73
Dawson Holmes, Aspen 73
Cris Rudosky, Montezuma Cortez 73
Billy Howenstein, Dawson 73

For complete 3A results, CLICK HERE.
 

Perhaps the cold, windy, raw first day at the 5A boys state high school tournament brought out the best in the best.

But for whatever reason, the three golfers who represented Colorado on the Junior America’s Cup team this year — and are in still in high school — find themselves at the top of the leaderboard after Monday’s first round of the 36-hole tournament at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora.

With temperatures in the 40s all day — and the wind making it feel even colder — junior Dillon Stewart (left) of Fossil Ridge took the lead with a 2-under-par 69. And right on his heels going into Tuesday’s final round are Junior America’s Cup teammates Davis Bryant of Eaglecrest and Cal McCoy of Regis Jesuit, along with Canon Olkowski of Grand Junction.

Those were the only players who broke par in challenging weather conditions at CommonGround as Bryant, McCoy and Olkowski posted 1-under 70s.

In the other state tournaments, day 1 of the 3A meet at Indian Peaks Golf Course in Lafayette was canceled due to rain, with the tournament being reduced to an 18-hole event, set for Tuesday. And at the 4A tourney at Raccoon Creek Golf Course in Littleton, three players share the lead at 1-over-par 73: Jake Welch of Valor Christian, Darren Edwards of Thompson Valley and Tyler Severin of Roosevelt. For more details on the 4A meet, see below.

At the 5A tournament, with stocking caps and several layers of clothing being commonplace for the players — and heavy jackets and mittens for many spectators — breaking par was no small feat.

“It wasn’t fun, but it was fun, obviously,” Stewart said after grabbing the 18-hole lead. “(The conditions) really tested your mental game. The ball isn’t going very far because it’s so cold. Conditions are hard, it’s windy. It’s not fun, but it really brings the best player out of everybody.

“I’m really proud of myself (for shooting 69). My goal was to be the leader after day 1, and I accomplished that. Hopefully it will continue tomorrow.”

Stewart has had a strong 2017 to date. He led the Rocky Mountain Open — competing against many pros as well as amateurs — after the first day. He finished 35th in the national Boys Junior PGA Championship, 52nd in the IMG Academy Junior Worlds, and was runner-up to Bryant at the Colorado Junior PGA. And Stewart, Bryant, McCoy and current University of Denver golfer Jackson Solem teamed up to finish fourth out of 18 teams in the Junior America’s Cup. During the high school season, Stewart has won four times.

On Monday at CommonGround, the junior finished with four birides and two bogeys on the day to grab the lead.

As good a year as Stewart has had in 2017, Bryant (left) has been even more impressive. The Colorado State University-bound golfer has won both of the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado majors in which he’s competed and he’s finished ninth individually at the Junior America’s Cup, 14th at the national Junior PGA and made it to the round of 64 at the U.S. Junior Amateur.

On Monday, Bryant had it to 3 under par through 11 holes, but bogeyed the next two and played the last five in even par.

“It could have been better, but it also could have gotten away from me and been a 75 very easily,” the senior said. “You can definitely shoot yourself out of it but you can’t win it on the first day. I was just trying to make some birdies and make a lot of pars and see how it went after 18 holes.”

Bryant, the 5A runner-up at state last year, has not been beaten in a high school tournament this season, winning six titles outright and tying for a victory in regionals.

“I’ll be disappointed if I don’t win (state), obviously,” he said. “That’s been my goal since I finished second to Kyle (Pearson of Highlands Ranch) last year. But if you’re thinking about that too much, you’re not going to play well, so I just take it one shot at a time and try to be as positive as possible.”

McCoy (left), a senior who will play his college golf at DU, was paired with Stewart on Monday and played his front nine in 3-under 33, but bogeyed 15 and 18 on the way in. McCoy, who finished sixth at state last year, ended up with three birdies and two bogeys on Monday.

Olkowski, a future University of Colorado golfer and the younger brother of current Buff Trevor Olkowski, finished strong to shoot his 70. He was 2 over par through 14 holes, but birdied three of his last four.

In the 5A team race, Regis Jesuit shot a 4-over-par 217 total and grabbed a four-stroke lead over Cherry Creek. Regis is seeking its seventh state title in the last eight years. Fossil Ridge is in third place at 222.

4A at Racoon Creek: Welch, younger brother of 2015 4A runner-up Coby Welch, shares the individual leader with Edwards and Severin after day 1. Welch was 1 under par through 16 holes, but triple bogeyed the par-3 17th and birdied 18 to finish at 73. He ended the day with four birdies, two bogeys and the triple.

Edwards, who placed fourth at state last year, birdied his final hole on Monday to shoot 73 and posted two birdies, one bogey and a double bogey. Severin, sixth at state in 2016, carded two birdies and three bogeys.

Defending individual state champion Luke Trujillo of Discovery Canyon shares fourth place at 75 with Roger Nakagawa of Thomas Jefferson, Jordan Jennings of Montrose and Bridger Tenney of Evergreen.

In the team competition, Montrose, the state runner-up last year, recorded a 17-over-par 233 total and holds a one-stroke lead over perennial power Valor Christian. Evergreen is in third place, five back of Montrose.

Class 5A Leaders
At Par-71 CommonGround GC in Aurora
TEAM
Regis Jesuit 217
Cherry Creek 221
Fossil Ridge 222
ThunderRidge 224
Fairview 226
Grand Junction 226
INDIVIDUAL
Dillon Stewart, Fossil Ridge 69
Davis Bryant, Eaglecrest 70
Cal McCoy, Regis Jesuit 70
Canon Olkowski, Grand Junction 70
Carter Kovarik, Cherry Creek 71
Sam Blackwood, Heritage 71
Evan Kalac, ThunderRidge 71
Brandon Bervig, Liberty 71
Cameron Kirke, Regis Jesuit 71
Tommy Parker, Arapahoe, 72
Connor Jones Mountain Range 72
Ryder Heuston, Fairview 72

For complete 5A results, CLICK HERE.
 

Class 4A Leaders
At Par-72 Raccoon Creek GC in Littleton
TEAM
Montrose 233
Valor Christian 234
Evergreen 238
Palmer Ridge 240
Mullen 242

INDIVIDUAL
Tyler Severin, Roosevelt 73
Darren Edwards, Thompson Valley 73
Jake Welch, Valor Christian 73
Jordan Jennings, Montrose 75
Roger Nakagawa, Thomas Jefferson 75
Bridger Tenney, Evergreen 75
Luke Trujillo, Discovery Canyon 75
Micah Stangebye, Montrose 76
Jacob Smith, Rifle 77
Wes Weber, Mountain View 77

For complete 4A results, CLICK HERE.
 

Let it not be said that Monday’s first rounds of the three boys state high school golf tournaments lacked for pizzazz.

Let’s count the ways they filled the bill:

— Luke Trujillo of Discovery Canyon had perhaps the best start in the history of Colorado boys state high school tournaments as he played his first five holes in 6 under par at the 4A state meet at River Valley Ranch Golf Club in Carbondale. He shot a 6-under-par 30 on his first nine holes and was 8 under after making eagle on his 11th hole. But he finished double bogey-bogey to settle for a 5-under-par 67, which was still good for a three-stroke lead.

— At the 5A tournament at Bookcliff Country Club in Grand Junction, three players — Nick Caldwell of Rock Canyon, Davis Bryant of Eaglecrest and Kyle Pearson of Highlands Ranch — shot 66 or better. Caldwell fired a 6-under-par 65 to lead the way.

— In the 3A tournament at Saddle Rock Golf Course in Aurora, senior Yale Kim of the Dawson School put himself in position to become just the fifth two-time Colorado boys state high school champion since 1995. Kim, who won as a sophomore in 2014, shares second place, one out of the lead, after round 1. For the record, the other two-time champs over the last 21 years are Tom Glissmeyer of Cheyenne Mountain (2003 and ’04), Steve Ziegler of Legacy (2005 and ’06), Wyndham Clark of Valor Christian (2009 and ’11), and Ethan Freeman of Kent Denver (2010 and ’11). Jackson Solem of Silver Creek, who trails by four strokes in 4A, also has a chance to repeat as champion.

“I’m really excited,” said Kim (left), who’s been seventh and sixth in his other two trips to state. “I already have one (state win) in my bag. I’m just trying to play the best golf I can. I’m still going for the No. 1 spot.”

Notably, Kim is in contention for a state title despite not winning a tournament so far this high school season.

“I was busy for the whole summer, visiting my family in Korea, and my swing wasn’t that great.,” he said. “But I got my game together in time for state.”

— Also at the 3A tournament, Oliver Jack of Kent Denver birdied four of the last six holes to close out his round, including draining a 30-footer on No. 18, to grab the lead with an even-par 72. The junior finished with six birdies on the day.

Here are brief roundups on each of the state high school tournaments:

5A at Bookcliff: Caldwell, Bryant and Pearson separated themselves from the field in Monday’s opening round.

In his 65, Caldwell eagled the 553-yard 12th hole and added five birdies, while making just one bogey.

Bryant, a U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier last year, likewise made just one bogey on Monday, while he notched a half-dozen birdies in his round of 66. Starting on No. 14 (his fifth hole), he ran off four in a row, part of an eight-hole stretch which he played in 6 under par.

Pearson also carded six birdies an a bogey on Monday.

The only other player under par in round 1 was Tommy Packer of Arapahoe, who posted a 1-under-70, leaving him five out of the lead.

Regis Jesuit, winner of five of the last six 5A state team titles, leads after round 1 at 7-over-par 220. But four schools are within seven strokes heading into the final round: Rock Canyon (222), Fossil Ridge (225), Highlands Ranch (225) and Lakewood (227).

4A at River Valley Ranch: After his impressive round, Trujillo (67) was the only player to finish with a score in the 60s on Monday.

But five other players posted subpar totals on Monday: 2015 Colorado Junior PGA champion Cole Krantz of Windsor (70), Reice Hendricks of Air Academy (71), Owen Pasvogel of Discovery Canyon (71), Micah Stangebye of Montrose (71) and defending champion Solem of Silver Creek (71).

Discovery Canyon, with a stellar 4-under-par 212 total, holds a healthy 13-stroke lead over second place Montrose. Evergreen (231) is third, while three-time defending champ Valor Christian (232) is fourth.

3A at Saddle Rock: Jack, who tied for second place at state last year as a sophomore, was 4 over par through 12 holes on Monday. Then his round turned on a dime as he went birdie, par, birdie, par, birdie, birdie.

“I was struggling a little with my putting, but I finally got some to drop,” he said. “That was a nice confidence booster.

“I knew they had to drop at some point because I was getting close. I was waiting for the first one to go, then I knew (more would follow).”

Kim, who was 3 under par through 10 holes before going bogey-double bogey on 11 and 12, sits a stroke behind Jack along with Ivan Richmond of Estes Park and Jacob Mason of Jefferson Academy. Richmond tied Jack for second place at state last year.

Host Kent Denver, winner of a record-tying eight state team titles in boys golf, shares the team lead with Peak to Peak at 9-over-par 225. Aspen is third at 234.

For scores from the tournaments, click on the following: 5A, 4A, 3A.

His start Monday notwithstanding, Spencer Painton must be taking quite a liking to Murphy Creek Golf Course.

The Regis Jesuit senior won a Class 5A regional tournament at the Aurora course almost two weeks ago, shooting a 4-under-par 68 in the process. Then on Monday during the first day of the 5A state tournament, Painton rallied after being 2 over par through three holes to fire a 6-under-par 66 and grab a one-stroke lead at Murphy Creek.

But that was just part of the story. What was especially spectacular was the way Painton finished his round — with six consecutive birdies, which gave him a 7-under-par 29 on the back nine.

“I was very pleased, especially after how I started,” said Painton (pictured above), who has committed to play college golf at the University of Kansas. “I heated up toward the end. It was very nice.

“I got off to a slow start but after that everything just began getting better and better.”

The performance pushed the 2013 U.S. Junior Amateur match play qualifier past his fellow 2012 5A state runner-up, Legacy junior Li Chen. Chen matched his best score ever, a 5-under-par 67, earlier in the day to set the pace.

Chen (pictured at left) made seven birdies on the day — including four in a row on the back nine (his front) — one fewer for the round than Painton.

“It was a great round; I felt comfortable with almost every single club,” said Chen, who has yet to win an individual high school tournament title this season. “I liked the way I started.

“I was aiming for a low score coming in . I’d say my goal on this course is 3 under because there’s reachable par-5s and short par-4s, so I was not that surprised by my score. But it’s definitely a great round.”

The only other players to shoot under par Monday were Keegan Sheard of Ralston Valley (70) and Jake Kelley of Regis (71), who like Painton played in this year’s U.S. Junior Amateur.

Regis, aiming for its fourth consecutive 5A state title, carded a 4-under-par 212 total. Ralston Valley stands in second place, nine shots back.

Silver Creek’s Rademacher-Howe Takes Narrow Lead in 4A: Silver Creek’s Andrew Rademacher-Howe fired a 1-under-par 69 and took a one-stroke lead after Monday’s first round of the 4A state tournament at Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen.

Rademacher Howe played the last six holes in 3 under par to post the only sub-par round of the day.

Glenn Workman of Pueblo West and Isaac Petersilie of Coronado share second place at even-par 70. Wilson Belk of Cheyenne Mountain is another stroke back. No one else in the field broke 75.

Silver Creek carded a 13-over-par 223 total to take a five-stroke lead in the team competition. Valor Christian is next-best at 228.

Alexander Dawson in Control at 3A State Meet: Alexander Dawson teammates Cameron Connor and Cole Folwell matched 2-under-par 69s to set the pace in the 3A state tournament at Pueblo Country Club.

Tristan Rohrbaugh of Basalt, the son of HealthOne Colorado Senior Open champion Doug Rohrbaugh, started with a 71 and holds third place.

Alexander Dawson opened up a commanding 22-stroke lead after day 1. Dawson shot an even-par 213 total. Kent Denver, winner of a record seven straight 3A state titles, sits in second place at 245.

For scores, click on: 5A, 4A, 3A.

They don’t play in the highest classification in Colorado’s high school ranks, but when it comes to shooting stellar scores in the state tournament, golfers from Class 4A don’t take a back seat to anyone.

A year after D’Evelyn’s John Ahern fired a competitive course-record 64 in the first round of the 4A state meet at The Club at Flying Horse, Valor Christian senior Wyndham Clark matched that total on the first day of the 2011 tournament at Pelican Lakes Golf Club in Windsor.

Clark’s 8-under-par score on Monday didn’t break a course record, and it wasn’t shot from the back tees, but any way you cut it, a 64 at Pelican Lakes by a high school player isn’t too shabby.

Clark (pictured above), one of the top 20 junior golfers in the country according to the AJGA rankings, was 6 under par through seven holes, shot 30 on the front nine, and finished with a bogey-free opening day. And as good as it was, he had bigger things in mind.

“I’m a little bummed because I had it going and wanted a really low round,” said Clark, who has won once and placed second twice in his previous state high school appearances. “I was 6 under through seven, then missed a 3-footer for birdie on 8.”

Coming into the day, “I wanted to shoot 10 under, 62,” he added. “I talked to my coach and we kind of made my own par because the course is shorter (6,538 yards) and it’s not playing too tough. We made my own par as 66. And he said, ‘If you played really good what would that number be?’ And I said, ‘Probably 10 under,’ so that was the goal. I fell a little short, but I’m very pleased with the round.”

Clark will take a four-stroke lead into Tuesday’s final round. Dylan Wonnacott and Jack Adolfson, junior teammates at Longmont-based Silver Creek High School, matched 4-under-par 68s to share second place. Wonnacott, who had never shot that low of a score in a high school tournament, fired a 5-under 31 on the front nine, and Adolfson carded a 32.

Four players are tied for third place at 70 — Nick Reisch of Broomfield, Kyle Peterson of Evergreen, Kolten Kyne of Montrose and Dylan Mitchell of Summit.

In the team competition, Silver Creek got a leg up in trying to unseat two-time defending champion Valor Christian. With three players shooting sub-par scores, Silver Creek posted one of the lowest team totals in state tournament history, a 9-under-par 207. That gives the Raptors an eight-stroke advantage over Valor.

“Coming in, we’ve been hearing a lot about Valor, so we just wanted to prove that Silver Creek can play too,” Adolfson said.

Individually, fellow players know it certainly won’t be easy to catch Clark, especially when he has a big lead. After all, this is a golfer who won the CGA Stroke Play Championship at age 16 last year, and who has qualified for the last two U.S. Amateurs.

Clark has verbally committed to play college golf for perennial national powerhouse Oklahoma State.

Competing against Clark “is motivation,” said Wonnacott (pictured at left), who birdied his last two holes Monday. “You know he’s going to play well, so it makes you want to play better. It’s hard to keep up with people who make that many birdies and can score that well. But that’s motivation for our team.”

On Monday, Clark made a statement early on, making a 12-foot birdie on No. 1 and a 12-foot eagle on No. 2, where he hit an 8-iron approach from 185 yards to set himself up. And though he cooled off later in the round, he never was in serious danger of making a bogey as he pitched the ball closed all three times he missed a green in regulation.

“I’m excited for tomorrow,” Clark said. “I think I can go shoot another really good low round and beat the score I shot today.”

Asked if the lead he has figures into his mindset, Clark said, “I’m not thinking about it. I’m going to try to shoot the lowest score I can. I shot 30 on the front nine today, and I’m going to try to shoot 29 or 28 (Tuesday). I’m going to tryi to get my 8 under and go to 10, then from 10 go to 14 — go as low as I can go.”

Clark is attempting to become the ninth player in Colorado history to win two boys state high school titles.

“It’s a big deal for me,” he said. “I definitely want to win. I kind of want to stay in the present, and winning this is huge at the moment. Obviously I’ve won bigger tournaments and done bigger things, but every tournament to me is big. I want to win everything.

Winning twice would be “up there,” Clark added. “It’s unfortunate it’s not three or four.”

The leaders will tee off for Tuesday’s final round at 10:27 a.m.

Mitchell, Gayeski Share Lead in 5A: Quade Mitchell of ThunderRidge and Brandon Gayeski of Mountain Range fired 2-under-par 69s and share the lead after Monday’s first round of the Class 5A state tournament at Bookcliff Country Club in Grand Junction.

Mitchell and Gayeski were the only players to break par, though five golfers shot even-par 71s: Eric Hallberg of Highlands Ranch, Cole Cunningham of Regis, Drew Vance of Dakota Ridge, Jack Pederson of Ralston Valley and Palmer Giro of Fort Collins.

Mitchell made three birdies and one bogey on Monday, while Gayeski carded five birdies and three bogeys.

In the team competition, Highlands Ranch shot a 6-over-par 219 and leads by one over Cherry Creek and by two over defending champion Regis and ThunderRidge.

Dawson’s Nygren Up By 3 in Class 3A: Alexander Dawson’s Cole Nygren, who won an AJGA title in Aspen earlier this year, shot a 4-under-par 67 on Monday to take a three-stroke lead in the Class 3A state tournament at Dos Rios Golf Club in Gunnison.

Nygren made an eagle and six birdies, offset by four bogeys, in the opening round.

Defending champion Ethan Freeman of Kent Denver, along with Eaton’s Jake Ice and Rye’s Tyler Harrison, share second place at 70 going into Tuesday’s final round.

Kent Denver, which is seeking to match the longest streak of consecutive boys state high school championships in Colorado history (six), holds a three-stroke advantage over Alexander Dawson after one round of the team competition.

Kent Denver won 4A state titles in 2006 and 2007, and 3A championships every year since the classification debuted in 2008.

For scores, click on the following: 5A, 4A, 3A.