The Durango High School girls golf team will send a full squad to the state tournament after the Demons put together a phenomenal showing at the Class 4A Region 1 tournament Monday at the South-North course at Kissing Camels Golf Club in Colorado Springs.
“I really thought it was exceptional,” DHS head coach Kirk Rawles said of the Demons’ performance. “We played a practice round and all the girls broke 100 in the practice round, as well. I think that built a little confidence going into (Monday). I think that definitely helped.”
The Demons finished third at the tournament following an eight-player playoff with Cheyenne Mountain for second place after the two schools shot team scores of 274.
Coronado won the team title with a 254.
Cheyenne Mountain’s Maxine Choi took medalist honors after she beat Pueblo South’s Zoey Rodriguez in a playoff. The two shot rounds of 78 on the par-71 course.
Rawles has been the head coach at DHS for 10 seasons and said this is the first time in his tenure that the Demons will send a full girls team to the state tournament, which will be held May 21-22 at Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs.
“The most we’ve had was we took three girls to state in 2014,” he said. “This is the first time we’ll be taking a fully-loaded team there.”
Madalen Meier posted the low round for the Demons with an 88, which tied for seventh overall.
Durango’s Lilly Tichi fired a 91, which placed her 12th, and Faith Mewmaw was 14th with a 95. Quinn Griswold rounded out the DHS team with a 97 to tie for 15th.
“Going into (the regional) every one of them has been our No. 1 golfer,” Rawles said of the team’s balance. “I think no one golfer has that much pressure on them or feels that pressure because we have a balanced group.
“Quinn was No. 1 in Cortez, Faith was our lowest score in Gunnison, Lilly at Hillcrest and Madalen earlier in the year up at Tiara Rado. I think they all help each other move up a step.”
Mewmaw is the lone Demon player with state experience. The Animas High School junior is now a three-time qualifier.
kschneider@durangoherald.com
