Boys golf regionals roundup

Class 5A Central Regional

The Castle View Sabercats had an excellent day at Overland Park on Tuesday, winning the team title with a collective score of 214, which put them a 2 under par as a team. Cherry Creek, last year’s runner-up in Class 5A, and Monarch tied for second place with matching 217 team scores.

In the individual competition, Columbine junior Matai Naqica was the winner with a 3-under 69. He was 4 under par on the back nine.

Behind Naquica, Castle View senior Luke Cushman and Monarch junior Talan Gover tied for runner-up with matching 70s. There was a six-way tie for fourth at even-par 72.

Class 5A Southern Regional
 
After not qualifying as as team last season, Valor Christian took home the Southern Region title with a team score of 219, just barely edging out second place Heritage. It was a tight team race all around, as third through fifth shot 222 (Fossil Ridge), 223 (Rock Canyon), and 224 (Arapahoe), respectively.

Individually, Valor Christian junior Ethan Rainey tallied a three-under 69 to claim the title. Overall on the day he had seven birdies. Right on his heels was Rock Canyon junior Charlie Tucker, who fired a two-under 70. Rounding out the top-five were Heritage senior Gavin Crowley and sophomore Sebastian Hein, as well as Arapahoe Senior Grant Jurgens, who all sot even par 72’s.

Class 5A Northern Regional  

Finishing 1 under par with a 209 team score, Pine Creek took home the team title by finished eight strokes ahead of runner-up Boulder. All four Pine Creek golfers placed in the top 10 to earn the Eagles their first boys golf regional title in 19 years.

Pine Creek senior Wesley Erling, who placed second at state last seaosn, won the individual title in a playoff. He and teammate Bentley Barnett, also a senior, Arvada West senior Luke Landskov and Legend junior Spencer Schlagel each carded a 69.

Class 5A Western Regional  

Highlands Ranch’s 220 team score won the Falcons the team title, edging Eaglecrest by four strokes. The Falcons placed three golfers in the top four and four in the top 10. ThunderRidge was third at 228 and Ralston Valley was fourth at 230.

Eaglecrest senior Andrew White, who finished outside the top 30 at state last season, was the region’s individual champion with a 2-under 71, birdying three of the final four holes at Adobe Creek National Golf Course for six total birdies on the day. Highlands Ranch freshman Billy Verstraate finished runner-up at 1 under par.

Class 4A Region 1

Falcon were the winners of the team race in Region 1, narrowly edging out Pueblo West, 235-237. Ponderosa was a close third, with a team score of 240.

The individual standings came down to a three-way tie for first, as Falcon senior Reese Knox, the 4A runner-up from a season ago, along with Pueblo West senior Noah Wagner, and Ponderosa senior Zane Aiken, all shot even par 72’s. After five playoff holes, Knox emerged victorious with an eagle as the winning score. Behind them in fourth was Denver North senior Sawyer Klein with a 74, followed by Pueblo East sophomore Jayden Padilla with a 76.

Class 4A Region 2

The Region 2 championship went to Cheyenne Mountain with a team score of 217 at Country Club of Colorado. Four Red-Tails Hawks placed in the top six with scores at 75 strokes or lower. Evergreen finished runner-up, three strokes behind Cheyenne Mountain, and Dakota Ridge was third.

The individual trophy went home with Evergreen sophomore Tyler Long, who carded a 3-under 68 with seven birdies. Chasing Long into the clubhouse was a trio of Cheyenne Mountain golfers – senior Thomas Herholtz (70), sophomore Charlie Doyle (73) and senior Carter Surofchek (74). Liam Houlihan, one of several Evergreen sophomores competing on Monday, also tied for fourth place with a 74.

Class 4A Region 3

The Windsor Wizards won the team title at Region 3. They narrowly edged out Centaurus by one team stroke, 222-223. 

Centaurus did have the individual Region winner, though, as senior Asa Wentworth fired a one-under 70 to claim the title. Right behind him was Silver Creek senior Ben Harding, who finished one stroke behind with an even par 71. Windsor accounted for three of the top-six finishers, as senior Carter Hinkle, and sophomores Tadede Keyworth and Kellen Ball shot a 72 and 75, respectively. Also finishing in the top-six was Riverdale Ridge junior Bradley Weinmaster, who tied with Hinkle in third with a 72.

Class 4A Region 4

Montrose was the victor in Region 4, narrowly holding off Grand Junction by two strokes for the team title. The Red Hawks finished with an overall team score of 217.

The individual race also featured a battle between the Red Hawks and the Tigers, with Montrose senior Jake Legg taking home the trophy with a 4-under 68 that saw him birdie three consecutive holes on the back nine. Grand Junction freshman Hunter Simmons, who played a bogey-free from nine with three birdies, finished one stroke back at 69.

Montrose junior Noah Richmond placed third with a 71, and Erie freshman Sean Cary and Mullen junior Jack Newton tied for fourth at 72.

Class 3A Region 1

Out at Conquistador, it was Colorado Academy that ran away with the team title. Last year’s runners-up, the Mustangs put together a team score of 225 to take home the trophy by finishing 11 strokes ahead of host Montezuma-Cortez.

While the hosts didn’t take home a team title, senior Thayer Plewe put together a fantastic 4-under round to finish with a 68 that included six birdies. Behind Plewe, Colorado Academy’s J.T. Timmers (72) and Colgin Youssi (74) placed second and third, respectively. Fowler’s Blake Buchner and Colorado Academy’s Corbin Bank tied for fourth with matching 79s.

Class 3A Region 2

The Sundevils of Kent Denver comfortably earned the team title in Region 2, firing a 224 score as a team. Behind them were the Peak to Peak Pumas, who totaled a 235.

Individually, the Sundevils claimed the top three spots, as seniors Ben Ramsden-Wood and Jackson Martorello tied for top honors with a three-over 74. Right behind in third place was teammate junior Luke Fisher, who shot a 76. Rounding out the top-five were D’Evelyn junior Taj Kumar, who tied with Fisher with a 76, while Peak to Peak junior Geroge Grady shot a 77 to place fifth.

Class 3A Region 3

After not factoring into the team scoring at last year’s 3A state tournament, this year’s Resurrection Christian team has clearly taken a big step forward. On Tuesday at Highland Hills, the Cougars won the Region 3 team title with a team score of 229. That was 16 strokes better than runner-up Holy Family.

Individually, it was Libery Common junior Ryan Woodley who won it all, finishing with a 3-over 74 that included an eagle on the par-5 fourth hole. Resurrection Christian freshmen Jack Carter and Clint Summers tied for second with matching 75s, while Frontier Academy’s Daniel Wyperd took fourth with a 78.

Class 3A Region 4

After placing fourth at last year’s 3A state tournament, Vail Mountain showed well at regionals with a team score of 225 and the team championship. Basalt was just one stroke back with a 2206 and 2021 champion Aspen was third with a score of 333.

Vail Mountain’s Felix Gruner, who tied for 15th place at state last season, won in the individual title by five strokes with a 2-under 70 that included four birdies. Behind Gruner was a trio of Basalt golfers – Jackson Stewart (75), Garrett Exelbert (75), and Jase Joslin (76) – rounding out the top four in front of a four-way tie for fifth.