Stepping onto the course with some of the best golfers in the state, the Montezuma-Cortez girls golf team settled in to the field with a strong second day in the 3A State Championships to take 13th place as a team at Elmwood Golf Course in Pueblo on June 21-22.

With an up-and-coming group of golfers, the Panthers surged on to the stage thanks to a strong performance at their Region 4 tournament at Cattails Golf Course in Alamosa. Their reward – a trip to Pueblo to take on the tree-lined, par-71 course and a deep 3A field.

On the historic course in the heart of the Steel City, Day 1 included its fair share of ups and downs, as the three Panthers compiled a team score of 376.

A second chance at the course proved to be just what the Panthers needed, as freshman Chesnie Patrick posted a team-best performance, moving steadily up the leaderboard on the second day, improving her score by six strokes to finish 62nd in the state with a two-day total of 222.

Along with juniors Elinore Muhonen and Sariah Robinson, Patrick and the Panthers were making their maiden voyage at the state’s highest stage.

After the early nerves of Day 1, both Muhonen and Robinson both made major jumps in the second half of the 36-hole event, as well. Muhonen made a nine-shot improvement from Day 1 to Day 2, posting a round of 108 to move up to 64th place. Robinson made the biggest jump of the day, cutting 22 shots from her first day total to take 84th overall.

The team finished with a two-day total of 715, landing 19 shots behind 12th-place Brush. St. Mary’s Academy ran away with the team title, winning by 45 strokes over Vail Mountain School. Aubri Braecklein from Jefferson Academy took home the individual crown, posting a tournament-low round of 69 on the second day to win by two strokes.