MEEKER | The Meeker High School Cowboys wrapped up their trip last week, competing in the River Valley tournament in Basalt on Tuesday and at Devil’s Thumb in Delta last Thursday.
Tuesday’s tournament was not the Cowboys’ best performance, as they finished eighth out of 10 teams with an overall team score of 262. Senior Wil Schwartz tied for third place out of 55 golfers, shooting a 75 on the day.
The Cowboys saw improvement on Thursday, finishing eighth out of 14 teams at Devil’s Thumb, and securing first place overall in the 2A division. The team posted the same overall score of 262. Schwartz led the team with a score of 80, followed by Montey Franklin (96), Bryson Elam (86), Sam Hightower (97), and Drew Drake (97). Schwartz placed 10th overall out of 92 golfers.
“I felt like we had some good things happen individually. It was not our best performance as a team, which is OK,” said Head Coach Willy Theos.
Theos noted that playing at Devil’s Thumb was beneficial, as it is the site of the upcoming regional tournament.
“We know where some of the tougher holes are, some of the things that we did not play well, and some strategies we can improve to better our scores,” Theos said. “We played it last year for regionals too, so we are getting to know that course pretty well, which should be helpful at the end of the year. We didn’t play great, but we are getting there.”
Despite the challenges, Theos observed some positive aspects of the team’s play.
“I’ve seen our 100-yard-and-in game improve a bunch already this year, and that’s great,” Theos said. “However, we didn’t putt especially well, so that will be an area of focus this week, along with being more consistent off the tee. But our 100-yard-and-in game was definitely something I felt was an improvement.”
This week, the Cowboys’ golf team will compete in a two-day tournament at Cobble Creek in Montrose, Colorado, on Wednesday and Thursday.
By JARED HENDERSON
The 2024 Meeker High School Cowboys golf team gathered for a picture after a golf showdown on Friday. (Back from left to right): Montey Franklin, Alejandro Garcia, Drew Drake, Wil Schwartz, Sam Hightower, Thomas Curry, Holt Pelloni
(Front left to right): Head Coach Willy Theos, Bryson Elam, Kaden Ridgeway, Dexter Chinn, Gavin Allen, Jacob Roberts, Mason Allen, and Brycen Pena. JARED HENDERSON PHOTO