MEEKER | The Meeker High School girls golf team opened the 2026 season earlier this week, competing in the Chipeta Kick Off Classic and Team Scramble hosted by Palisade High School in Grand Junction. Players were greeted with sunny skies and temperatures reaching 66 degrees during the season-opening tournament.
Meeker finished 12th out of 14 teams with a team score of 310 (+133). Junior Kailynn Watson led the Cowboys, posting the team’s lowest round with a 98 (+39).
Watson said she was pleased with her round, noting she “stayed pretty consistent throughout the day.” She attributes her success to “staying calm and trying not to get frustrated when I had a tough shot or hole.” As an upperclassman, Watson also leads by “staying positive and encouraging my teammates.” Looking ahead, she plans to keep improving her short game, “especially my putting,” before the Devil’s Thumb tournament.
Juniors Aurora Stallings and Lili Hernandez each carded rounds of 106 (+47), while freshmen MacKenzie Denney and Jordyn Garcia added scores of 117 (+58) and 119 (+60), respectively, gaining early varsity experience.
Stallings felt encouraged by her 106, which she shot from the men’s tees. She recognized the round “definitely leaves a lot of room for improvement” and helped show her areas to focus on, such as making solid contact on the longer holes. She maintained a “learn and improve” mindset, which helped her finish the back nine much stronger. Her biggest takeaway was the need to improve her putting, saying, “it can be really frustrating when you drive the green and then end up with five putts.”
Hernandez called the opening tournament a “solid start and a good way to understand where my game is currently at.” She focused on staying calm and taking one shot at a time during challenging areas of the course. As a team, she noted their goal is to “continue to improve, stay consistent and compete at a high level.” She will spend the weeks before the next tournament working on a tighter short game and consistency with certain clubs to be prepared for Devil’s Thumb.
Freshman MacKenzie Denney said the tournament was a valuable experience for adjusting to high school competition, allowing her to “meet new people, make new friends, and figure out what I need to work on.” She added, “I learned… when I’m having fun it doesn’t matter what score I get as long as I learn and have fun.”
A Meeker team made up of sophomore Althea Halstead and freshmen Alexandria Trout and Gracelynn Vierra also competed in the team scramble, finishing with a score of 99 (+40). Halstead said the scramble format was a “new experience,” allowing for a more relaxed and enjoyable game where everyone could “show off their strengths.” Vierra agreed, saying playing as a team made her “way more confident” and helped her learn how high school tournaments work.
Head coach Amanda Back, now in her sixth season, said the program continues to grow, going from three girls to nine. She praised the “wonderful team culture” and the players’ attitude. Back highlighted that four golfers qualified for regionals last season, which gave the players a key confidence boost for 2026. She expects “really great, knowledgeable, kind leadership” from her returning girls and praised the younger golfers for being “determined and really have come to the table with some great skills.” She summarized the team’s measure of success: “Successful is if they have fun, learn something new and know they put forth their very best.”
With several weeks before their next competition, the Cowboys will use the time to refine their short game, build consistency, and prepare as a team. The season-opening tournament offered valuable experience for both returning players and newcomers, giving the team a foundation to build on as they look ahead to the March 31 tournament at Devil’s Thumb. Meeker enters the season with a mix of experienced upperclassmen and eager young talent, aiming to continue its tradition of competitive play and regional qualification.
From left, members of the Meeker High School girls golf team pose in front of their team bus before the Chipeta Kick Off Classic tournament in Grand Junction: Aurora Stallings, Althea Halstead, Lili Hernandez, Kailynn Watson, MacKenzie Denney, Jordyn Garcia, Gracelynn Vierra and Alexandria Trout. AMANDA BACK PHOTO