The Meeker High School boys golf team continued their 2026 season with tournaments at River Valley Ranch in Carbondale on Aug. 11 and Devil’s Thumb in Delta on Aug. 13, giving a young Cowboys roster more opportunities to gain experience on the course.
Meeker finished 12th at the Basalt Longhorn Classic at River Valley Ranch with a team score of 353 (+137).
Sophomore Teagan Smith led the Cowboys with a 97 (+25), followed by sophomore Dylan Rundberg with a 123 (+51), freshman Rylan Grimes with a 133 (+61) and junior Holt Pelloni with a 135 (+63).
The Cowboys then traveled to Devil’s Thumb Thursday, but rain forced the tournament results to be wiped out, meaning the scores did not count toward the official standings.
Despite the weather, the two tournaments gave Meeker’s golfers additional experience early in the season.
For first-year head coach Jason Back, River Valley Ranch presented a particularly difficult challenge coming immediately after the season-opening GJ Tiger Invitational at Bookcliff Country Club.
“River Valley Ranch, it was a tough day for the team, but they’re all learning and trying very hard,” Back said. “They’re really trying, and they’re having fun, and that’s the big thing.”
Back said River Valley Ranch is a more challenging course for the Cowboys, with more carries and hazards than Bookcliff.
“We’ve got a lot of young kids, so we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Back said. “But they’re all trying hard.”
One of the biggest areas Back wants the Cowboys to improve is their short game, particularly putting.
He has even added some extra motivation during practice.
“We have a deal that if you three-putt a green, it’s 15 pushups,” Back said. “Tonight’s practice, we’ve got a lot of pushups going to happen.”
Back said improving around the greens could help the Cowboys shave strokes from their scores and become less reliant on hitting long drives off the tee.
While the team is still developing, Back has been encouraged by the attitude of his young golfers. Meeker has competed against golfers from larger classifications during the opening tournaments, but the Cowboys have continued to enjoy the experience.
“You never know when a kid starts to play golf because you’re going to have bad shots,” Back said. “A lot of first or young golfers will get discouraged because they’re not playing as good. But our kids didn’t. They enjoyed themselves out there and kept working hard.”
Back also credited opposing golfers for helping some of Meeker’s younger players during their rounds.
“I got a couple freshmen that had some really good golfers take them under their wing and were good to them throughout the whole round,” Back said. “That is awesome just to keep their spirits up and keep them wanting to play the game.”
Smith has led Meeker through the team’s first two scored tournaments. The sophomore led the Cowboys at the GJ Tiger Invitational with a 79 (+8) before posting a 97 at River Valley Ranch.
Smith said working with Back has helped him identify areas of his game that he wants to continue developing.
“After practicing with Coach, he showed me some things I was doing wrong, and I want to keep working on those things,” Smith said.
Smith said his performance at Bookcliff also gave him confidence heading into the rest of the season. Now, he wants to build on that confidence by trusting his swing and avoiding overthinking his shots.
“I need to stop thinking so much about the ball when I’m over it and just trust my swing, hit the ball and have fun because that’s the main thing about golf,” Smith said.
As the Cowboys prepare for their next tournament, Smith said his focus will be on controlling what he can rather than worrying about the competition.
“I’m expecting to play my game and not worry about anyone else,” Smith said. “I want to stay focused, play one shot at a time and not let other people affect how I play.”
Smith believes he has the ability to put together the scores he is looking for as the season progresses.
“I know I’m capable of shooting in the low 80s or even the high 70s, so I just want to stay confident, play smart and have fun,” Smith said.
The Cowboys will have several days to work on their game before returning to competition Aug. 20 at Cobble Creek in Montrose.
Back said the focus leading into the tournament will be on short-game work and learning to play to specific targets. Cobble Creek’s narrow fairways and hazards will require Meeker’s golfers to be more deliberate with their shots.
“I see our guys just seeing a wide-open fairway and let it rip, and next thing you know they’re off in the hazard or in the dirt,” Back said. “Really have them work on trying to pick out a target to aim at.”
Back also sees Cobble Creek as a potential opportunity for some of his golfers to put together a strong score as they pursue state qualification.
With the new qualification regulations requiring five scores, Back said a strong performance at Cobble Creek could help the Cowboys build toward that goal.
Ultimately, however, Back said his goals for the team extend beyond tournament scores.
“I’d like to just do steady improvement with the game of golf,” Back said. “The most important thing is I want our team to be known as very respectful young men, and that they are courteous and very good with the game of golf.”
With only one senior on the roster and much of the team made up of freshmen and sophomores, Back sees the season as an opportunity to build both better golfers and better young men.
“Golf is an honor game,” Back said. “You keep your own score and all that, and that’s what I hope that they realize and they keep the game going as what it was meant to be.”
For Smith, the approach heading into the next tournament is simple: trust his game, stay focused and enjoy the sport.
“I just want to stay confident, play smart and have fun,” Smith said.
For a young Meeker team still learning the ins and outs of tournament golf, the early-season goal is simple: improve, stay positive and enjoy the game. The Cowboys will get their next chance to do that Aug. 20 at Cobble Creek in Montrose.
