EAGLE – Now in his second year of high school, Montezuma-Cortez sophomore Zye Kuenzler is carrying himself like a savvy veteran.
Unfazed by the environment, Kuenzler continued his climb as one of the elite boys golfers in the state, finishing in a tie for 27th at the Class 3A state tournament at Eagle Ranch Golf Club on Oct. 6-7.
Kuenzler qualified under CHSAA’s new postseason format as one of the top 84 golfers in the state based on season-long scoring average. A regular scorer in the 70s, he handled the challenge of a new course with aplomb.
An opening-round 78 placed Kuenzler inside the top 30, nearly guaranteeing an improvement from his 55th-place finish as a freshman. Then, as the pressure of Day 2 took its toll on the field, Kuenzler stayed the course, bettering his score by a stroke Tuesday to finish with a total of 155 (+11) – good for a tie for 27th.
Kuenzler wrapped up his season as the seventh-best underclassman in the field. For a program full of sophomores and juniors, he looks to lead M-CHS back to an even stronger season next fall.
Lutheran senior Nicholas Brooks fired an eye-popping total of 134 (66–68, -10) to run away with the individual title, while the Lions rode his performance to the team title.
