MEEKER | The Meeker High School girls golf team is set to begin its 2025 season Monday at Chipeta Golf Course in Grand Junction.
The Cowboys return four players from last season and welcome three new additions to the squad. Head coach Amanda Back, entering her fifth season with the team, shared her expectations for the year.
“The biggest thing for me is for the girls to have fun,” Back said. “Learn the game of golf, but the most important thing is that they have fun and hopefully they’ll play in the future.”
Key returning players for Meeker this season include Joelle Soler, Mia Pinzon, Kialynn Watson and Aurora Stallings.
“They bring great attitudes, fun with golf, and then they bring the knowledge to the younger girls,” Back said.
As for the younger golfers, Back believes all of them will contribute.
Each season presents challenges, and for the Cowboys, weather remains a key obstacle.
“The spring season is tough because you never know—it could be this,” she said, referring to snowfall that afternoon, “or it could be 75 [degrees], so you just never know what it’s going to be. That’s our biggest hurdle—this loveliness.”
This season, Meeker will face competition across classifications, primarily against 3A and 4A schools due to their geographic region.
Additionally, the team is celebrating a first in program history—senior Eduardo Cordova has been named the Cowboys’ first team manager.
Meeker opened its season Monday, March 10, at the 2025 Kick-Off Classic Team Scramble tournament, hosted by Palisade High School at Chipeta Golf Course in Grand Junction.
Despite limited time on the course, Back was pleased with her team’s performance.
“We haven’t been on grass since they started the season. They did awesome!” she said.
“We have been practicing in the high school gym with a net and a flight scope,” she continued.
The Cowboys traveled with six golfers that day, splitting into two teams of three. The first team included Lili Hernandez, Kialynn Watson, and Aurora Stallings; they shot 44 on the front nine and 41 on the back nine. They would finish 11th overall with a total team score of 85 points.
The second team included Joelle Soler, Mia Pinzon, and Emma Buckler. They posted a front nine score of 44, and a back nine score of 38 points. They would place ninth overall with a total score of 82 points.
Looking ahead, Back is focused on refining the team’s game.
“They will keep practicing. Hopefully, we will get out on our course so that they can chip and putt,” she said. “I am proud of their tenacity and try. It was fabulous!”
Meeker will be off this week for spring break before returning to practice. Back outlined the team’s priorities in preparation for its next competition.
“We will keep working on our swings, chipping and putting,” she said. “Golf takes a lot of practice and time, and the girls are very willing to try and put forth their best efforts with all of their other activities and getting a fantastic education. I’m proud of their dedication.”
The Cowboys will return to competition April 16 at the River Valley Ranch Tournament in Glenwood Springs.
MHS girls’ golf: Kialynn Watson, Aurora Stallings, Joelle Soler, manager Eduardo Cordova, Mia Pinzon, Emma Buckler and Lili Hernandez.