RYE – It just wouldn’t be the state tournament without Montezuma-Cortez in the mix.
Courtesy of their performance in the 2A Region 1 tournament at Hollydot Golf Course in Rye on Monday afternoon, the Panthers will send juniors Amita Crowley and Afton Unrein to the 2A state championships. M-CHS finished tied for third (278) as a team, just missing out on the automatic team qualification spots, but by virtue of finishing among the top 13 golfers not on a qualifying team, the Panthers will still have representation at Pueblo Country Club in the 36-hole championship event.
Crowley took runner-up in the field, while Unrein finished in ninth place to secure their qualification.
Dolores capped off their season, and the golf careers of their two seniors, with a 12th place showing in the field, as senior Siena Parr led the way for the Bears.
Much like she has all season, Crowley found herself in the mix at the top of the leaderboard. Three pars out of the gate helped her begin what would be a back-and-forth battle with playing partner Kyndra Johnson of Salida. After Crowley’s early advantage, Johnson battled back with a pair of birdies on the eighth and ninth holes of the day, making the turn with a three-shot advantage over the Panther, with Johnson’s 38 front half leading the field.
Crowley charged back beginning with a birdie on her tenth hole, then added four more pars over the next five holes to find herself knotted up with the Spartans senior at five-over-par with three holes to play. However, Johnson birdied the sixteenth hole to break the deadlock, before holding on down the stretch to take medalist honors. Crowley’s round of 78 (41-37, +7) was good enough to earn second place – her highest regional placement as she gears up for her third state appearance.
Unrein got to bear witness to Crowley’s round, playing in the group directly behind the leading duo – and all the while Unrein continued some of the steady golf that has made her a regular in the top 10. The Panthers junior had two pars apiece on each side, while tacking on a birdie on her eighth hole to accrue a 46 on each side for a round of 92. Unrein is back in the state championships after making her debut as a sophomore.
Sophomore Dannika Goodall closed out her strong season with a 108, shooting a 47 on the back nine as part of her best stretch of the day. Freshman Tenley Bryan capped her debut campaign with one of her best rounds of the season with a 119.
For Dolores, Parr’s round paced the way for the Bears, as she went under 110 to finish in the top 35 in her final competition. Classmate Samantha Abate took 39th with a round of 115, while junior Jadyn Gorsuch closed out her season with a 131.
The host Rye Thunderbolts defended their home course with the regional championship, edging out Salida (253 to 255). Unrein and Crowley will carry their state tournament experience with them as they return to the I-25 corridor next Monday and Tuesday, May 19-20, for the 2A state tournament in the Steel City.
