Heading into the fall sports season, the Summit High School boys golf team set the goal of sending more than one golfer to the state tournament.

After qualifying only one golfer to the state tournament in 2023 and zero in 2022, Summit knew that this goal was lofty, but believed it was possible. Like any team, the Tigers went through a series of ups and downs throughout the course of the season, but played spectacularly when it mattered most. 

At the Class 4A Region 4 golf tournament in Montrose on Oct. 1, Summit successfully achieved its goal, qualifying three athletes to the 4A state golf tournament at the Tiara Rado Golf Course near Grand Junction on Monday, Oct. 7, and Tuesday, Oct. 8.

Ecstatic about achieving the season-long goal and making recent history as a program, senior Jace Melby, senior Evan Wischmeyer, junior Ryan Lankhorst and head coach Zach Dobrota all made the trip to Tiara Rado Golf Course for the two-round state golf tournament.

After making his debut at the state tournament last fall, Melby got out to a solid start on the first day of play on Monday, Oct. 7. Over the first 18 holes, Melby shot 12 over par for a total score of 83. 

Wanting to improve upon his 46th-place finish from last year, Melby returned the next day prepared to take on Tiara Rado’s tough hole placement. With a better knowledge of the course, Melby successfully improved his score by one stroke, shooting an 82 (+11) on day two of the tournament.

Combining for a score of 165 (+23), Melby improved nine places from last year to tie for 35th place with Central High School’s Parker Shahan. 

Lankhorst followed Melby in the final results. The junior linksman shot 25 over par in the first round before shedding 13 strokes the second time through the course. Lankhorst completed the 36-hole tournament with a score of 179 (+37) to tie for 61st overall in the 84-man field.

Seven spots behind Lankhorst was Wischmeyer, who also managed to string together two, respectable rounds of golf. Playing in his final high school golf tournament, Wischmeyer shot 27 over par through the first round in order to earn a score of 98.

Knowing what he needed to do in order to better his score and overall ranking, Wischmeyer improved his score from the day before by eight strokes, shooting 19 over par for a score of 90. Wischmeyer combined for a score of 188 to shoot 46 over par in the tournament and place 68th overall. 

“They played from 6,300 yards with long rough and slick greens,” Dobrota said. “(Tuesday) was some of the toughest pin placements the boys have ever seen, with many being only a few paces from the edge of the green or placed near heavy slopes. We had the unfortunate opportunity of watching a fellow competitor be putting for par and walk away making 14 on the hole given the brutal pin placement on hole 13.”

All three Summit golfers improved upon the performances of Ranger Stone and Ricky Ahlquist at the 2021 tournament. Marking the last time more than one golfer qualified for the state-championship event outside of this fall, Stone placed 43rd and Ahlquist took 69th in 2021. 

Cheyenne Mountain High School sophomore Brayden Destefano was crowned the 2024 4A individual state champion shooting 68 and 70 to combine for a total of 138 (-4). Destefano was followed in second place by senior teammate Charlie Doyle who shot 142.

With a total score of 429 (+3), Cheyenne Mountain won the team title with Grand Junction High School taking second (447) and Windsor High School finishing in third (458). Summit took 12th out of the 15 teams with a total score of 532 (+106).

“As a team we accomplished our goal of making the state tournament with more than one player, and with three players, it did qualify us to compete as a team as well at the state level,” Dobrota said. “Overall it was a great season, and we’re looking forward to continuing to build the players and the program over the coming years.”