Montrose’s Micah Stangebye wins 4A boys golf, helps team to championship
COLORADO SPRINGS — The weather was beautiful, the course at Flying Horse was beautiful, and Micah Stangebye’s game was beautiful.
His one-under-par 71 on Tuesday at Flying Horse Country Club was good enough to make him the individual Class 4A boys golf state champion as he finished at 4-under for the tournament.
“I came here mainly wanting to win the main team event because of us winning it last year,” said Stangebye. “I knew that if I played well I would have a chance of winning the individual and luckily I had two really good days.”
He started the day playing par golf on the first five holes and had a birdie on hole six. Stangebye got in trouble on hole seven with a bogey but came back strong with another birdie that gave him the lead that would remain for the rest of the day.
“Micah was just rock solid,” said coach Dave Woodruff. “Two days in row he was able to hold things together and put our team on his back and helped carry us as team and individually today.”
“I just told myself that I’d just try to play today just like I did yesterday,” Stangebye said. “I didn’t want to worry about the score, but I did ask my coaches if anyone was under par a couple times and my nerves definitely kicked in those last couple holes.
“I placed seventh my freshmen year and fourth my sophomore year, so I knew I could at least get top two or three this year,” said Stangebye. “Coming into it I really didn’t expect anything, but I also knew that if I played well I had a shot at the title.”
Ponderosa’s Mac Konrad was on Stangebye’s heels all day, but his 14 pars and two birdies just weren’t quite enough. He finished as runner-up at 1-over. Mead’s TJ Shehee also gave it a good run and finished the day in third place at 3-over.
Montrose not only had the best individual player, but they also had the best tournament as an overall team. Montrose came out strong for the second day and finished 19-over and held off Steamboat Springs by six strokes to win the team championship.
“It feels really good to win that team title again,” said Stangebye. “We’re all juniors and sophomores so we’ll back next year and hopefully get a three-peat.”
“It’s such a neat feeling to get it done,” said coach Woodruff. “It was a little nerve-racking, but the experience of last year really helped us and all of these boys were here last year and will be here next year, so it’s a neat problem to have.”
It’s the third title for the Indians and second year in a row they will come home with the team championship.
