GRAND JUNCTION – If the Panthers keep up their pace, they’ll be a major force to be reckoned with in their 2A Region 1 competition.
In their final action before their May 12 regional tournament at Hollydot Golf Course in Rye, the Panthers once again proved to be one of the teams to beat on the Western Slope, regardless of classification. First-year head coach Jarrett Watkins and his squad claimed fourth as a team at Tiara Rado Golf Course in the Grand Junction Central-hosted Warrior Invitational on Tuesday afternoon.
Juniors Amita Crowley and Afton Unrein posted tremendous rounds on the par-71 track, with Crowley playing her final 14 holes at a two-over-par clip on her way to a 77 and a third-place individual finish. Unrein wasn’t far behind, shooting a 39 on the back nine to finish with a season-best 82 and a top-10 finish among the nearly 70 student-athletes in the field.
Sophomore Dannika Goodall added a round of 105 with a 47 on her first nine holes of the day, taking a tie for 34th, while freshman Tenley Bryan and junior Keira Jago finished one stroke apart, with Bryan tallying a 123 and Jago rounding out the Panthers effort with a 124.
The top three individuals compiled the team score of 264 for M-CHS, just narrowly off the pace of runner-up Montrose (251) and third-place Fruita Monument (257). Durango took the top spot in the event with a score of 240.
Meanwhile, on April 30, Dolores and first-year head coach Cheri Walker took to the Eagle Ranch Golf Course for one of their final preparatory competitions. Junior Julianne Vega led the way with a 111 to take 18th in the field, while seniors Siena Parr (121) and Samantha Abate (125) both tallied top-30 results. Junior Jadyn Gorsuch (132), sophomore Madison Thornbrugh (136), and junior Amelia Pym (143) rounded out the DHS competitors as the team took fifth place in the tournament. Glenwood Springs bested the field with a score of 406, while DHS checked in with a 489 total.
M-CHS will join Dolores for their regional tournament action along the I-25 corridor in Rye, hoping to continue their team state qualification streak. The top two team scores and top 13 individuals outside of those two teams will advance to the 2A state tournament at the Pueblo Country Club on May 19-20.
