It was another historic year for the Montezuma-Cortez High School boys golf team.
The Panthers returned home from a successful appearance at the Colorado High School Activities Association 4A Boys Golf State Championships in Windsor that was played Monday and Tuesday.
A young Panthers squad struggled the first day at Pelican Lakes Golf Club, shooting a team score of 231 (top three finishers).
We just couldnt put it together for two full days. The course is very difficult, M-CHS coach Micah Rudosky said. They moved the tees up on quite a few of the holes, so it didnt play the length that I thought it would play. But you still had to hit great shots on certain holes.
One of the difficult holes was No. 3, in which the Panthers shot six-over par on.
However, the second day, M-CHS made adjustments and shot a team score of 228 for a two-day total of 459. The Panthers placed fourth at state out of 11 4A teams.
M-CHS senior Chris Aiken capped his final year with a solid one-under par 73 in the final round. Aiken finished very strong, shooting two-under par on the back nine with three birdies and one bogey. His final two-round score of 147 (+3) at the Pelican Lakes course was good for an 11th place tie.
Jakob Rudosky (tied for 25th) finished with a final round 78 to go with a 76 from day one for a 154 two-day total.
Keith Hawkins (tied for 36th) rebounded from an 81 on the first day with a 77 in round two for a total of 158.
Hayden Plewe (tied for 53rd) also finished with a strong second round, shooting a 78 after opening with an 84. Results are according to www.cogolf.org.
With only Aiken graduating, expectations remain very high for M-CHS golf going forward.
I have high expectations each year now, Micah Rudosky said. I have some great potential coming up with Levi Gross, Tristan Shelby and Ryan Aiken. Well still have Hayden, Keith and Jakob. Theyre only going to get stronger.
Valor Christian High School senior Wyndham Clark was the runaway state champ after posting a two-day total of 128 two rounds of 64. His score of -16 was eight strokes better than the second-place finisher.
Clark, who plans to play for Oklahoma State next season, played the two rounds without ever settling for a bogey. The senior, who also won the state title as a sophomore, finished the tournament with 12 birdies and two eagles.
Valor Christian, a Highlands Ranch school, finished second (425) in the team title competition to Longmont school, Silver Creek, which posted a winning total of 420.
Silver Creek and Valor really lit that place up as a team. Silver Creek was under par as a team, so that was pretty dang solid, Micah Rudosky said.
Kolten Kyne of Montrose was one of six golfers who finished under par for the tournament. He shot a 142 total, good for a tie for fifth place, the highest individual finish among 4A Western Slope golfers.
This was the second-straight year the M-CHS golf program capped highly successful seasons. In September, the Panthers claimed their second-consecutive Western Slope regional title. In 2010, the Panthers team finished second at state