(Dan Mohrmann/Single Wing Media)

Boys Golf Dan Mohrmann/Single Wing Media

4A boys golf: Riverdale Ridge overcomes nerves for first team title in school history

DENVER – Bradley Weinmaster had a lot going through his head when he snapped awake at 4 a.m.
 
He was in the lead. His team was in the lead. This is state.
 
So the sophomore did what any golfer in their right mind would do in that moment, he went and hit some balls. By 7 a.m. he had already emptied a bucket and he had yet to even make his way to City Park.
 
He fell out of the individual lead which was understandable considering that Windsor’s Brentyn Paiz shot a 3-under-par 67 to claim the individual title. But he still needed to play well enough to help his team do something that’s never been done in Riverdale Ridge history.
 
And when he hit his putt on 18, he knew he had done just that. His hat was off before the ball dropped in the cup and Riverdale Ridge claimed the Class 4A boys golf title, the first team state championship in Ravens history.
 
“It’s exciting,” Weinmaster said. “In the first round I had a smile on my face the whole day and the entire time after.”
 
The day didn’t turn into a battle against other golfers or a battle against City Park, it turned into a battle against nerves.
 
The Ravens held a six-stroke lead over defending champion Cheyenne Mountain and three sophomores and a freshman had to try and hold off three juniors and a senior. 

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“This whole season we’ve had highs and lows and the mental side of their game has come such a long way,” coach Bobby Brunswick said. “It also takes pressure (for the coaches) to be on them and coach them all the time.”
 
Weinmaster started the day with a bogey and ended up going 5-over on the front. He made two bridies on the back, but the four bogeys wiped that out. Still, his 77 was exactly what the team needed.
 
It also needed production from players across the board. Will Balliet was 2-over in Round 1 but rebounded to shoot an even-par 70 on day two. He was the top finisher for the Ravens, taking fifth overall.
 
“Everyone was nervous,” Balliet said. “But we were ready to go.”
 
Aiden Sweeney rounded out the Riverdale Ridge scorers, finishing 8-over for the tournament. It wasn’t a bad showing considering the state tournament for them last year was something they’d like to forget.
 
“Last year, we didn’t have the best performance at state,” Balliet said. “That led us to practicing more and getting better. We came out and got it done.”
 
And they couldn’t help but peek to make sure they were staying ahead of the field. Balliet said he checked every few holes in the event he needed to get aggressive. Weinmaster checked in every once in a while, as well and breathed a huge sigh of relief as he came down the final stretch of holes.
 
“On hole 15 I looked at the leaderboard and I knew that we won,” he said.
 
But it didn’t make that final putt any less historic for himself and for his school.

Team Results
 
Pos Team Thru Overall Round R1 R2 Total
1 Riverdale Ridge F 436 220 216 220 436
2 Windsor F 445 214 231 214 445
3 Cheyenne Mountain F 447 225 222 225 447
3 Silver Creek F 447 219 228 219 447
5 Falcon F 450 221 229 221 450
6 Pueblo West F 458 224 234 224 458
7 Niwot F 461 220 241 220 461
8 Montrose F 464 231 233 231 464
8 Steamboat Springs F 464 232 232 232 464
10 Evergreen F 468 233 235 233 468
11 Ponderosa F 476 235 241 235 476
12 Mullen F 478 240 238 240 478
13 Denver North F 489 223 266 223 489
14 Lewis-Palmer F 490 238 252 238 490
15 Skyline F 519 257 262 257 519

Individual Results
 
Pos TM Player Thru Overall Round R1 R2 Total
1 Windsor Brentyn Paiz F 138 67 71 67 138
2 Falcon Reese Knox F 140 68 72 68 140
3 Silver Creek Ben Harding F 141 71 70 71 141
4 Frederick Jake Chesler F 142 68 74 68 142
4 Riverdale Ridge Will Balliet F 142 70 72 70 142
6 Northridge Traejan Andrews F 143 70 73 70 143
6 Niwot Christopher Gunlikson F 143 69 74 69 143
8 Montrose Noah Richmond F 145 68 77 68 145
8 Vista Peak Dawson Thulin F 145 75 70 75 145
10 Palisade Alex Morrall F 146 74 72 74 146
10 Riverdale Ridge Bradley Weinmaster F 146 77 69 77 146
10 Pueblo West Noah Wagner F 146 71 75 71 146
13 Denver North Sawyer Klein F 147 71 76 71 147
13 Evergreen Tyler Long F 147 74 73 74 147
15 Riverdale Ridge Aiden Sweeney F 148 73 75 73 148
15 Cheyenne Mountain Thomas Herholtz F 148 75 73 75 148
17 Falcon Brayden Larose F 149 73 76 73 149
17 Cheyenne Mountain Campbell Grage F 149 76 73 76 149
19 Pueblo East Evan Smith F 150 76 74 76 150
19 Mullen Ryan Brady F 150 75 75 75 150
19 Windsor Kellen Ball F 150 71 79 71 150
19 Cheyenne Mountain Carter Surofchek F 150 74 76 74 150
23 Silver Creek Josh Lurie F 151 74 77 74 151
23 Lewis-Palmer Gregory Lewis F 151 73 78 73 151
23 Centaurus Asa Wentworth F 151 73 78 73 151
26 Niwot Emmett Shell F 152 74 78 74 152
27 Pueblo West Preston Allen F 153 77 76 77 153
28 Steamboat Springs Michael Dinapoli F 154 79 75 79 154
28 Steamboat Springs Jeremy Nolting F 154 76 78 76 154
30 The Classical Academy Nathan Valentine F 155 76 79 76 155
30 Ponderosa Bryar Moss F 155 78 77 78 155
30 Silver Creek Quinn Lockwood F 155 74 81 74 155
33 Ponderosa Zane Aiken F 156 80 76 80 156
33 Steamboat Springs Travis Seitz F 156 77 79 77 156
33 The Classical Academy Ben Devolve F 156 82 74 82 156
36 Pueblo East Adam Romero F 157 76 81 76 157
36 Longmont Trace Saunders F 157 80 77 80 157
36 Windsor Carter Hinkle F 157 76 81 76 157
39 Lewis-Palmer William Simpfendorfer F 158 76 82 76 158
40 Pueblo West Cody ingo F 159 76 83 76 159
40 Pueblo County Niko Cozzetto F 159 81 78 81 159
40 Cheyenne Mountain Kale Parthen F 159 78 81 78 159
43 Montrose Liam Beshoar F 160 83 77 83 160
43 Summit Ranger Stone F 160 74 86 74 160
45 Montrose Jake Legg F 161 82 79 82 161
45 Falcon Benjamin Campbell F 161 80 81 80 161
45 Skyline Keaton Schell F 161 81 80 81 161
48 Coronado Noah Keller F 162 78 84 78 162
48 Eagle Valley Jonathan Boyer F 162 79 83 79 162
48 Mullen Ethan Karr F 162 83 79 83 162
48 Palmer Ridge Trevor Bradley F 162 81 81 81 162
52 Windsor Landon Ball F 163 80 83 80 163
52 Steamboat Springs Colin Kagan F 163 83 80 83 163
54 Denver North Kaden McClelen F 165 70 95 70 165
54 Evergreen Lincoln Mackay F 165 74 91 74 165
54 Ponderosa Zach Caldarella F 165 77 88 77 165
54 Riverdale Ridge Carter Seis F 165 81 84 81 165
54 Denver South Benson Spoor F 165 81 84 81 165
54 D'Evelyn Taj Kumar F 165 85 80 85 165
60 Mullen Ben  Hawes F 166 82 84 82 166
60 Niwot Carlos Kipkorir F 166 77 89 77 166
60 Evergreen Chase Thompson F 166 86 80 86 166
63 Durango Zachary Griswold F 167 85 82 85 167
63 Evergreen Duncan McIntosh F 167 85 82 85 167
65 Golden Zach Henderson F 168 83 85 83 168
65 Littleton Noah Abramson F 168 84 84 84 168
67 Littleton Jack Finch F 169 88 81 88 169
67 Air Academy Logan Burwell F 169 83 86 83 169
69 Montrose Connor Bell F 170 81 89 81 170
69 Summit Ricky Ahlquist F 170 85 85 85 170
71 Mullen Jack Newton F 171 86 85 86 171
72 Erie Donovan Obrien F 173 83 90 83 173
72 Pueblo West Michael Whittlef F 173 86 87 86 173
74 Falcon Trevor Wolken  F 174 85 89 85 174
75 Skyline Caden tapia F 175 84 91 84 175
75 Niwot Drew Stapp F 175 85 90 85 175
77 Denver North Aidan Larson F 177 82 95 82 177
77 Palmer Ridge Kyle Wade F 177 89 88 89 177
79 Green Mountain Riley McIntyre F 180 87 93 87 180
79 Palisade Blake Hooker F 180 96 84 96 180
81 Lewis-Palmer Joseph  Graff IV F 181 89 92 89 181
81 Golden James Sheridan F 181 94 87 94 181
81 Pueblo Central Luis Contreras F 181 91 90 91 181
84 Skyline Declan Karch F 183 92 91 92 183