The Durango High School girls golf team turned in a top-5 finish at its first true tournament of the season.
The Demons posted a team score of 71-over par to place third at the Warrior Invitational, hosted by Grand Junction Central, Wednesday at Tiara Rado Golf Course in Grand Junction.
“Our girls played really well today,” DHS head coach Kirk Rawles said. “I think this is the first time in four years I’ve had three girls shoot below 100.”
DHS competed in a scramble tournament Tuesday in Grand Junction, where they tied for third place with Vail Mountain.
Grand Junction Central took the team title with a score of 18-over par. Montrose was second at 54-over. There were 10 teams at the tournament.
Grand Juntion Central’s Brittlynn Odell and Gracie Olkowski ran away from the field, with each Warrior posting rounds of even-par 71. The next lowest round was a 10-over 81 by Montrose’s Taylor Kettell.
Odell, who began the shotgun start on hole No. 1, made the turn at 1-over, and was at 3-over after 12 holes. But an eagle on the par-5 13th, then a birdie at the par-4 16th got her back to even on the round.
Olkowski started her day on No. 2 and made the turn at 1-under after a birdie at the par-5 sixth. But back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 11 and 12 moved her to 1-over. She parred the next five holes in a row, then birdied No. 18 to get back to even on the round.
Madalen Meier posted the low round for the Demons with a 19-over 90 to place seventh. Aside from a few large numbers on the scorecard, she put together a solid round with seven pars. After taking a double bogey on her starting hole – the par-4 17th – she had back-to-back pars on Nos. 18 and 1. But a quadruple bogey on the par-5 second hole, then back-to-back double bogeys on Nos. 5 and 6, followed by a triple bogey at No. 8 let the round get away from her.
Lilly Tichi also had a top-10 finish for the Demons, as she shot a 25-over 96 finish tied for 10th. In the round, Tichi avoided the blowup holes that hurt Meier, as she only had one triple bogey on the card, but had trouble making pars, with only four recorded in the round.
Quinn Griswold rounded out the DHS team at the tournament and shot a 27-over 98 to finish tied for 15th. Griswold struggled to find a rhythm on the course, but settled down late in her the round and played her final four holes at 1-over par.
The Demons also had Liana Bygel and Grace Meyer play in a two-person scramble at Tiara Rado. The duo shot a 92.
DHS will be back on the course for the Farmington Invitational April 9 at San Juan Country Club in Farmington.
kschneider@durangoherald.com
