The results of those regional tourneys will determine the field for the DII national finals, which will be played May 17-21 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver.
The NCAA announced on Friday that the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, Colorado Christian and Regis will advance teams to the South Central/West Regional that will be contested in Las Cruces, N.M., May 2-4. Out of the 10 teams from the South Central Region, Rocky Mountain Athletic Conferernce champion CU-Colorado Springs is seeded first, Colorado Christian second and Regis 10th.
Also at that site will be individual qualifiers Jacob Allenback, a junior from Colorado State-Pueblo, and freshman George Markham and senior Nick Berry of Colorado School of Mines.
The top five team finishers and the top two individuals not on those teams from each regional will earn spots in the finals in Denver.
In all, 80 teams and 32 individuals will compete in one of the the four combined regionals.
For the all the regional qualifiers, CLICK HERE.
Meanwhile, in men’s NCAA Division I conference tournaments, Colorado State stands in fourth place and the Air Force Academy in XXX after Friday’s opening round of the 54-hole Mountain West tournament in Tucson, Ariz.
The Rams shot a 7-under-par 281 and trails leader Fresno State by six strokes with two rounds left. Max Oelfke set the pace for CSU with a 3-under-par 69, which left him in sixth place, four out of the lead.
Air Force checked in at 287. The Falcons are being led by Brenden Bone, who shares fourth place at 68.
Men’s Mountain West Conference Championship
April 22-24, 2016 in Tucson, Ariz.
4. (out of 11 teams) Colorado State 281
6. Max Oelfke 69; 12. Kyler Dunkle 70; 13. Dominic Kieffer 71; 13. Jimmy Makloski 71; 33. Blake Cannon 73.
7. Air Force Academy 287
4. Brenden Bone 68; 13. Sunwoo Choi 71; 23. Tate Tatom 72; 4. Bryant Falconello 76; 51. Michael Fan 77.
He finished second twice during his high school years at the 5A state tournament. And he was also runner-up in the 2010 CGA Junior Stroke Play, where he led by two with four holes to play at his home course.
But that “always the bridesmaid, never the bride” thing shouldn’t hound Kent anymore after Friday. The 22-year-old from the Country Club at Castle Pines made it into contention again at a big statewide event, but this time he wasn’t forced to settle for second place.
In a match that featured six lead changes, Kent won the 36th and 37th holes after being 1 down to capture the title Friday in the 114th CGA Match Play Championship at The Heritage at Westmoor in Westminster.
“I’m tired of second place,” he said after earning his first CGA championship title. “It’s been a long time coming. I had a pretty good junior career. It kind of stuck in the back of my head that I didn’t win any junior or men’s CGA championships. That’s something I’ve been wanting to do, so it’s nice to get one.”
In just the second CGA Match Play final since 1981 to go extra holes, Kent prevailed in 37 holes when Jacob Allenback of Walking Stick Golf Course missed a 3-foot par putt on the first green (left).
“This is huge. This is really big for me,” said Kent, who will be a fifth-year senior at the University of Tulsa. “I haven’t had a lot of success in the last couple of years trying to find my game. I put in a lot of hard work this spring and early summer. It’s starting to pay off. I can see it coming in my game.
“It just hasn’t hit me, but this is probably my biggest (golf) accomplishment,” surpassing qualifying for the 2010 U.S. Amateur and winning an AJGA tournament in 2008.
Indeed, Kent (below) joins the likes of Hale Irwin (1966), Steve Jones (1980), Kevin Stadler (1999 and 2002) and Brandt Jobe (1984, ’85 and ’88) as a winner of the CGA Match Play.
Allenback, the 2012 4A state high school champion who now plays for Colorado State University-Pueblo, took a 1-up lead after rallying from being 3 down through 27 holes. But he missed a 3-foot birdie that would have won the 33rd hole and hit his second shot into the deep native well left of the 18th green, and lost that 36th hole with a bogey.
Then on the players’ third trip up the par-4 first hole on Friday, Kent hit a 52-degree wedge from 138 yards to 7 feet below the cup, while Allenback ended up 20 feet from the flag. After Allenback ran his birdie attempt 3 feet past the hole, Kent left his birdie putt just short. But instead of going to the 38th hole, Allenback pushed his short par putt and Kent had the victory.
“I’m a little disappointed,” Allenback said. “I should have come away with that (title), especially being 1 up going into 18.”
While Allenback (left) generally struck the ball well tee to green, a balky putter probably cost him the title. In the final 18 holes of the match, he missed five putts of 5 feet or less.
“I just need to work on my putting,” the 19-year-old said. “I’m going to take something really good away from this, and go practice my putting. If I can get that down, I think I can be right up there and play pretty good in a lot of tournaments.”
Kent was taken aback when Allenback missed the decisive par putt on the 37th hole.
“I was just figuring out what I wanted to hit on the next tee,” he said. “I was surprised he missed it. That, to be honest, wasn’t the way I wanted to see it end.”
Kent, the 2009 CGA Junior Player of the Year, earlier had taken some heart in his chances when Allenback missed his 3-foot birdie putt on No. 15 in the second round. Had Allenback drained that one, he would have won five of the previous six holes and been 2 up with three to play.
“I knew I had an opportunity when we pushed 15,” Kent said. “That was big when he missed that little one. I knew I was definitely well in it. I knew I could have a chance if I could push it to 18. And 18 kind of worked out. When I saw him pull it left there, I just had to put it in play and I would have a decent chance” at winning the hole with a par, which he did.
Kent (left) finished the day right around par, mainly thanks to a stretch from the 21st through the 25th holes where he carded a conceded eagle and holed two birdie putts. That gave him a 3-up lead, but Allenback forced it to go the distance after winning the 28th, 29th, 30th and 32nd holes. Allenback made three birdies during that stretch, though one of them was only good for a halve.
While Friday marked the first extra-hole match of the week for Kent, it was the fourth for Allenback, who defeated younger brother Justin in one of those on Wednesday. Justin was caddying for Jacob on Friday.
Considering Jacob Allenback competed in the 54-hole Pueblo City Championship last weekend, he ended up playing 201 holes of competitive golf in eight days.
“It’s been a lot of golf,” he said.
But he admits he exceeded his own expectations by making it to the Match Play final.
“I wasn’t expecting to get this far,” said Allenback, who defeated defending champ David Oraee in the semifinals. “I had plans last night that I had to cancel because I was playing in this thing. I managed to grind out a few matches and ended up winning them. It was a great week. I had a blast.”
As did Kent (pictured at left with Allenback), though it took some advice from friend — and fellow competitor — Parker Edens to help him ride out the highs and low of the final. Edens, a former CSU golfer, was a CGA Match Play finalist in 2012 and ’13, finishing second in each case.
“He said it was just going to be emotional, there are going to be a lot of changes (in momentum),” Kent said. “You’ve got to go with it and be patient. That’s what I tried to do when I lost three in a row to get back to all square.
“That (advice) helped me to stay calm even though I didn’t have my best on the back nine.”
The Castle Rock resident knew he wasn’t considered one of the pre-tournament favorites to emerge with the title, but that didn’t keep him from thinking big.
“One of the assistants who helps me said, ‘No one is expecting you to do anything. Just go out and play your game,'” Kent said. “I did that. So I had a lot of confidence going in. I just needed to prove it to myself.”
Friday’s match marked the first CGA Match Play final since 2005 to go extra holes. Nine years ago, Pat Grady went 38 holes to defeat University of Colorado teammate Derek Tolan for the title. Overall, there have been extra holes in the Match Play final eight times in 114 years.
CGA Match Play Championship
At The Heritage at Westmoor in Westminster
(Seeds in Parentheses)
ROUND OF 64
David Oraee, Colorado National Golf Club (1) def. Palmer Giro, Ptarmigan Country Club (64), 6 and 5
Cody Vance, Raccoon Creek Men’s Club (32) def. Andrew Romano, Colorado Golf Club (33), 2 and 1
Matt Porter, CommonGround Golf Course (16) def. Spencer Sheets, Glenmoor Country Club (49), 1 up
Grant Rogers, Omni Interlocken GC (17) def. Matthew Goddard, Ptarmigan Country Club (48), 21 holes
Cole Cunningham, Valley Country Club (57) def. Jan Wong, Flatirons Golf Course (8), 3 and 2
Tristan Rohrbaugh, Ironbridge GC (40) def. David Lysaught, Pinehurst Country Club (25), 4 and 3
Parker Edens, Greeley Country Club (9) def. Billy Ramsey, Lone Tree Mens Golf Club (56), 4 and 3
Dillon McDonald, Red Sky Golf Club (41) def. Steven Irwin, Lakewood Country Club (24), 19 holes
Justin Allenback, Elmwood GC (4) def. Grant Porter, CommonGround Golf Course (61), 2 and 1
Jacob Allenback, Walking Stick GC (36) def. Blair Matthews, CommonGround Golf Course (29), 3 and 2
Aj Morris, River Valley Ranch Golf Club (13) def. Michael Wilhelm, Country Club of the Rockies (52), 3 and 2
Christopher Raap, CJGA Club (20) def. Jon Lindstrom, Lakewood Country Club (45), 2 up
Minkyu Jeon, Raccoon Creek Men’s Club (5) def. Ryan Schmitz, Colorado Golf Club (60), 3 and 2
Jimmy Makloski, Pueblo Country Club (37) def. Wesley Martin, CommonGround Golf Course (28), 5 and 4
Andrew Howe, Fox Hill CC (12) def. Pierce Trumper, Fort Collins Country Club (53), 19 holes
Gus Lundquist, Colorado Golf Club (44) def. Gregory Pattison, Heritage at Westmoor (21), 5 and 4
Dylan Mitchell, Lakewood Country Club (2) def. Clint Miller, Meadow Hills Golf Course (63), 5 and 4
Christopher Thayer, Bear Creek Golf Club (34) def. Ray Makloski, Pueblo Country Club (31), 7 and 5
Colin Prater, Broadmoor Golf Club (15) def. Alex Kephart, Eisenhower Golf Club (50), 1 up
Steve Connell, Riverdale Golf Club (18) def. Zach Fowlds, Colorado Golf Club (47), 3 and 2
Ethan Freeman, Glenmoor Country Club (7) def. Trevor Mckune, Pinehurst Country Club (58), 2 and 1
Tanner Jenson, Ridge at Castle Pines North (39) def. Bryan Cannon, Columbine Country Club (26), 3 and 2
Jake Kelley, Pinehurst CC (55) def. Bobby Taggart, Canongate Colorado (10), 4 and 2
Cody Kent, Country Club at Castle Pines (42) def. Cameron Brown, Sonnenalp Golf Club (23), 2 and 1
Steven Kupcho, CommonGround Golf Course (3) def. Charles Santaularia, CommonGround Golf Course (62), 1 up
Zach Tripp, Foothills Golf Course (35) def. Drew Trujillo, Bridges (30), 5 and 4
Chris Dillon, CommonGround GC (14) def. Mr. Harry Johnson, Eagle Ranch Golf Course (51), 19 holes
Braden Baer, The Ranch CC (46) def. Behrod Keshtavar, CJGA Club (19), 1 up
Matthew Weiss, Highlands Ranch Golf Club (6) def. Lamar Carlile, City Park Associates Club (59), 7 and 5
Jeffrey Gravina, Pinehurst Country Club (27) def. Jack Cummings, Omni Interlocken Resort (38), 1 up
Drew Vance, Raccoon Creek Men’s Club (54) def. Joel Perez, Colorado National Golf Club (11), 4 and 2
Collin Tedesco, Plum Creek G & CC (43) def. Pierce Aichinger, Bear Creek GC (22), 1 up
ROUND OF 32
David Oraee, Colorado National Golf Club (1) def. Cody Vance, Raccoon Creek Men’s Club (32), 5 and 4
Matt Porter, CommonGround Golf Course (16) def. Grant Rogers, Omni Interlocken GC (17), 6 and 5
Cole Cunningham, Valley Country Club (57) def. Tristan Rohrbaugh, Ironbridge GC (40), 1 up
Parker Edens, Greeley Country Club (9) def. Dillon McDonald, Red Sky Golf Club (41), 2 and 1
Jacob Allenback, Walking Stick GC (36) def. Justin Allenback, Elmwood GC (4), 22 holes
Aj Morris, River Valley Ranch Golf Club (13) def. Christopher Raap, CJGA Club (20), 4 and 3
Minkyu Jeon, Raccoon Creek Men’s Club (5) def. Jimmy Makloski, Pueblo Country Club (37), 1 up
Gus Lundquist, Colorado Golf Club (44) def. Andrew Howe, Fox Hill CC (12), 3 and 1
Christopher Thayer, Bear Creek Golf Club (34) def. Dylan Mitchell, Lakewood Country Club (2), 2 and 1
Colin Prater, Broadmoor Golf Club (15) def. Steve Connell, Riverdale Golf Club (18), 2 and 1
Ethan Freeman, Glenmoor Country Club (7) def. Tanner Jenson, Ridge at Castle Pines North (39), 1 up
Cody Kent, Country Club at Castle Pines (42) def. Jake Kelley, Pinehurst CC (55), 3 and 1
Zach Tripp, Foothills Golf Course (35) def. Steven Kupcho, CommonGround Golf Course (3), 1 up
Braden Baer, The Ranch CC (46) def. Chris Dillon, CommonGround GC (14), 6 and 5
Jeffrey Gravina, Pinehurst Country Club (27) def. Matthew Weiss, Highlands Ranch Golf Club (6), 5 and 3
Collin Tedesco, Plum Creek G & CC (43) def. Drew Vance, Raccoon Creek Men’s Club (54), 2 and 1
ROUND OF 16
David Oraee, Colorado National Golf Club (1) def. Matt Porter, CommonGround Golf Course (16), 3 and 1
Cole Cunningham, Valley Country Club (57) def. Parker Edens, Greeley Country Club (9), 1 up
Jacob Allenback, Walking Stick GC (36) def. Aj Morris, River Valley Ranch Golf Club (13), 19 holes
Gus Lundquist, Colorado Golf Club (44) def. Minkyu Jeon, Raccoon Creek Men’s Club (5), 5 and 4
Colin Prater, Broadmoor Golf Club (15) def. Christopher Thayer, Bear Creek Golf Club (34), 1 up
Cody Kent, Country Club at Castle Pines (42) def. Ethan Freeman, Glenmoor Country Club (7), 4 and 3
Zach Tripp, Foothills Golf Course (35) def. Braden Baer, The Ranch CC (46), 3 and 2
Jeffrey Gravina, Pinehurst Country Club (27) def. Collin Tedesco, Plum Creek G & CC (43), 4 and 2
QUARTERFINALS
David Oraee, Colorado National Golf Club (1) def. Cole Cunningham, Valley Country Club (57), 1 up
Jacob Allenback, Walking Stick GC (36) def. Gus Lundquist, Colorado Golf Club (44), 19 holes
Cody Kent, Country Club at Castle Pines (42) def. Colin Prater, Broadmoor Golf Club (15), 4 and 2
Zach Tripp, Foothills Golf Course (35) def. Jeffrey Gravina, Pinehurst Country Club (27), 2 and 1
SEMIFINALS
Jacob Allenback, Walking Stick GC (36) def. David Oraee, Colorado National Golf Club (1), 3 and 2
Cody Kent, Country Club at Castle Pines (42) def. Zach Tripp, Foothills Golf Course (35), 3 and 2
FINAL
Cody Kent, Country Club at Castle Pines (42) def. Jacob Allenback, Walking Stick GC (36), 37 holes
In the end, no matter how dominant Kent Denver’s golf team was, it couldn’t have it all Tuesday at the boys 3A state high school tournament at Pinehurst Country Club.
Most, but not all.
The Sun Devils set a Colorado high school record by collecting their seventh consecutive boys state golf championship. But there was no way to get around the fact that at least one of the team’s top two players was going to come up short in his attempt to win the individual state title.
As it turned out, senior Ben Moore closed out his high school career with his first individual state championship. But that only happened because he overcame teammate Ethan Freeman, who fell a little short in his bid to become the first Coloradan to claim three individual boys state high school titles.
“It’s bittersweet,” Freeman said. “I’m happy for Ben and I’m happy for the team, but I’d obviously like to come away with a win. But if there’s one kid I’m fine (with beating me), it’s Ben. He deserved it.”
As for possible “what-ifs” that might pass through Freeman’s mind, he doesn’t want to dwell on them.
“Coulda, shoulda, woulda,” he said. “Four team titles, two individual titles, top four (individually at state) all four years — I’ll take that.”
And Moore certainly did his part to claim the 3A individual championship, making birdies on three of the last four holes Tuesday to overtake Freeman.
The University of Colorado-bound Freeman led Moore by three strokes as he walked to the 12th tee, but he three-putted Nos. 13, 15 and 16 while Moore made his late charge to capture the title.
Moore (pictured at left), who will play college golf at NCAA Division III Emory University in Atlanta, shot an even-par 70 for the second straight day to finish with a 140 total. Freeman carded a second-round 73 to end up three behind. Faith Christian’s Jack Cummings placed third (75-72–147) for his second straight top-10 showing in the 3A tournament.
“It feels good to beat Ethan because he’s arguably the best player here,” said Moore, who finished fourth last year as Freeman won title No. 2. “I was really looking forward to playing against him today and seeing what happened. I was really excited with the way I played and the way it turned out.
“I think it was fun. Both of us probably enjoyed it; I know I certainly did. It just feels good to win.”
Certainly both players agree that it was special to lead Kent to its seventh straight team title, which breaks the record previously shared by Kent and ThunderRidge (2001-06 in 5A). The Sun Devils have won every 3A state title held in Colorado (2008-2012), along with 4A championships in 2006 and 2007. Bob Austin has coached all those teams, having taken over as head coach in 2006.
“I’m glad I just helped my team win another one and get in the record books,” Freeman said.
This year, Kent claimed the state title by 27 strokes over Holy Family. The Sun Devils finished with a 25-over-par 445 total. (Team members pictured at top are, from left, Moore, Josh Repine, Austin, Freeman and Will Fehr.)
This marked the fourth year under Austin that Kent has won both the team and individual championships. Beau Schoolcraft claimed the individual title in 2007, when teammate Matt Schovee placed second..
“To win seven is just a dream come true,” said Austin, whose Kent Denver teams have never done anything but claim state titles in his seven seasons as head coach. “I’m very blessed. When I started, in my wildest imagination I could never have imagined this. Each and every one is special and each and every one is different.”
With Kent Denver’s team title all but locked up, the only suspense coming down the stretch Tuesday was whether Moore or Freeman would prevail individually.
For quite a while, it looked like Freeman (pictured at left) would get his individual three-peat. After Moore three-putted No. 10 for bogey and Freeman birdied 11 a group ahead, the defending champ was up by three shots.
But Moore made a pivotal shot on No. 11 that helped turn the tide. With a tree on the left side of the fairway about six feet in front of him and slightly to the right, Moore had very little room for error with his approach shot to an elevated green.
If he pulled the shot, he could go out of bounds or at least end up with an awkward third. But he struck the ball perfectly, leaving him with a 20-foot birdie putt which he sunk.
“That was big,” he admitted. “I made bogey on 10 and wasn’t too happy with the way I was playing. I knew I was two or three down and I needed to make something happen. I was really happy with that approach shot.”
But Freeman still led by one while on the 15th green. With a ticklish downhill birdie putt, he ran the ball by the cup about 3 1/2 feet, then missed the come-backer. Playing in the group behind, Moore grabbed the lead with a sterling wedge shot and a 3-foot birdie putt.
On the next hole, No. 16, there was another two-shot swing with Moore making birdie and Freeman a bogey. After Freeman three-putted from 10 feet, Moore hit the green of the par-5 in two and two-putted for his birdie.
“I knew those were birdie holes and I needed to make at least one birdie, and I’m glad I made two,” Moore said.
As for Freeman, he said he put too much pressure on his putter by going long with his approach shots.
“You can’t hit it past the pin here; you’re just dead if you do,” he noted. “Almost every hole I hit it past the pin and had downhill putts.”
The four-shot swing in two holes put Moore three ahead, and the margin would get no smaller than two the rest of the way.
“As happy as I am for Ben — shooting 70-70 on this golf course is all-world — Ethan could have become the first player to ever win three,” Austin said. “He handled (finishing second) with class and dignity. He still finished second at state and he’s played on four teams that won state championships. And he finished top four (at state) all four years. I told him afterward, ‘You’ve had one of the great high school careers in (Colorado) history and I’m really proud of you.’
“It was real exciting and really fun to watch. I was rooting for both of them. I’m really happy for Ben. He just kept his emotions in check and his head in it. He never made a big mistake.”
Dunkle’s Birdie on 18 Gives Him 5A State Title: Junior Kyler Dunkle of Douglas County, who shot a 66 to qualify for the state tournament, continued his strong play by winning the 5A state title at The Club at Rolling Hills in Golden.
Dunkle birdied the 18th hole to edge Eric Chen of Legacy and Spencer Painton of Regis Jesuit by one stroke.
Dunkle shot a 1-under-par 70 to finish at 3-over 145. Chen likewise posted a 70 on Tuesday, while Painton birdied the final hole for a 71. First-round leader Donny Kinnaman of Grand Junction closed with a 75 to end up in fourth place at 147.
Regis claimed its third straight 5A team title, finishing at 20-over-par 446, eight strokes ahead of Ralston Valley.
Allenback Keeps Foot on Gas to Win 4A Championship: Senior Jacob Allenback of Pueblo Centennial went wire-to-wire in winning the 4A state championship at The Links at Cobble Creek in Montrose.
Allenback fired a 1-under-par 71 Tuesday to finish at 5-under-par 139. In 36 holes, he recorded just three scores of bogey or worse: one double bogey and two bogeys.
Josh McLaughlin of Thompson Valley placed second, two behind Allenback, after a 69 on Tuesday. Glenn Workman of Pueblo West ended up third at 142 after his second straight 71. Jack Adolfson of Silver Creek, last year’s runner-up, placed fourth at 1-under 143 after a closing 68.
Pueblo South and 2010 and ’11 state champion Valor Christian tied for the low team score with 11-over-par 443s. South then prevailed on the second hole of a playoff to earn its first boys state golf title since 1978.
Bob Austin seems to have the Midas Touch when it comes to Colorado high school golf.
As a player, Austin competed on two Cherry Creek teams that won state championships, in 1970 and ’71. And the year he took over as head coach of the Kent Denver boys program (2006), the Sun Devils started their current state title win streak, which sits at six and likely will reach seven on Tuesday.
“I have lived the dream,” Austin (pictured with senior Josh Repine) said after Monday’s first round of the 3A state tournament at Pinehurst Country Club. “I played on two teams that won state championships. And this is my seventh year as a coach and we’ve won (state) the first six. I’ve just been really fortunate to have really good players.”
And given how Kent Denver performed on Monday, it’s set up very nicely to win both the team and individual titles for the fourth time under Austin.
Going into Tuesday’s final round, the all-senior Sun Devil squad leads the team race by a whopping 19 strokes. And Kent’s Ben Moore (pictured at left) and two-time defending state champion Ethan Freeman fired even-par 70s to share the top spot individually, and no one else in the field shot lower than 74.
Clearly it’s gotten to the point that about the only one who can compete with Kent Denver at the boys state high school golf tournament is, well … Kent Denver.
The Sun Devils are on the verge of making history on two fronts on Tuesday. They can win their seventh consecutive state title, which would break the Colorado record currently shared by Kent and ThunderRidge (2001-06 in 5A). And if Freeman prevails individually, he’d become the first player in Colorado history to win three boys individual state high school championships.
The only problem is that for Freeman to win, Moore will fall short, or vice-versa.
“I have mixed feelings about the battle tomorrow,” Austin said. “I wish they both could win. If one of them wins in the end, I’m going to be so happy, but it’s going to be bittersweet too. They’re both great players and great seniors.”
Although it’s unlikely both Freeman and Moore will falter to the point that someone else would come out on top, three other players are within five strokes of the lead. Dylan Jirsa of Estes Park and Robby Bowles of Vail Christian share third place at 74, while Faith Christian’s Jack Cummings, a top-10 finisher last year, stands in fifth place at 75.
Team-wise, with a 7-over-par 217 total, Kent Denver is 19 ahead of second-place Estes Park.
“To be honest, coming in we just wanted to win the team title for seven in a row,” Moore said. “I was rooting for everybody on the team and it was good to see (Freeman) played well; I expected him to and he did. Tomorrow we’re going to both just try to play our best, try to win the team title and see what happens individually.”
Freeman (pictured at left), who has committed to the University of Colorado, admits he’ll probably feel the pressure of the historic situation “a little bit early” in Tuesday’s final round. “But I’m just going to try to go out there and play my own game. I’m going to try not to let that (pressure) get to me.”
That’s where Austin’s coaching may help.
“At state, there’s parents, there’s officials, there’s the press, there’s all this stuff going on, but you’ve really got to just block that out and focus on the task at hand,” Austin said. “I thought we did great with that today. We’ve got one more day and we’re going to come out tomorrow and play as well as we can, and if we’re fortunate to win, it’ll be a great honor.”
Moore and Freeman say Austin acts as a calming influence on the course, which could come in handy.
“He’s is a great coach,” Moore said. “He really cares about the team a lot and he does anything he can to help us out. He’s just a good guy to have around. We like to see him around the course. It makes you a little bit calmer. He just brings a lot of positive energy and makes the team feel good about how we’re playing.”
Allenback Fires 68 to Go Up by 3 in 4A State: Fellow Pueblo-based golfer Jimmy Makloski came in as the favorite, but Pueblo Centennial’s Jacob Allenback took a three-stroke lead after Monday’s first round of the 4A state tournament at The Links at Cobble Creek in Montrose.
Allenback shot a 4-under-par 68 and made just one bogey on Monday.
Andrew Rademacher-Howe of Silver Creek, Dylan Mitchell of Summit and Glenn Workman of Pueblo West also broke par and share second place at 71.
Makloski, the CGA Junior Stroke Play champion, opened with a 75 and is tied for 13th place.
Valor Christian, the 2009 and 2010 state champion, claimed a one-stroke lead over Pueblo South in the team competition. Valor fired a 3-over-par 219. Defending champion Silver Creek stands in third at 226.
Kinnaman Takes Two-Stroke Lead in 5A: Grand Junction’s Donny Kinnaman shot a 1-over-par 72 and grabbed a two-stroke lead in the 5A state tournament The Club at Rolling Hills in Golden.
Kinnaman birdied two of his last four holes and carded three birdies and four bogeys overall in Monday’s first round.
Two players from Ralston Valley, Jack Pedersen and Neil Tillman, share second place at 74. Douglas County’s Kyler Dunkle, who shot a 66 at regionals to qualify for state, is among six golfers tied for fourth at 75.
Ralston Valley shot a 12-over-par 225 to build a two-stroke lead over two-time defending champion Regis Jesuit in the team competition.
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