Over the last three years, the Summit High School boys golf team has never qualified more than two athletes to the Class 4A state golf tournament at the conclusion of the season. The Tigers qualified two golfers to the state tournament in 2021, no golfers qualified in 2022 and only one golfer qualified last fall.

At the Class 4A Region 4 golf tournament at the Black Canyon Golf Course in Montrose on Tuesday, Oct. 1, Summit turned the tide of the program, making recent history and qualifying three golfers to the state golf tournament next week. 

Facing eight other high schools from the 4A classification, Summit entered the tournament hoping to place within the top two teams in order to qualify for the state tournament as a team. 

With experience competing at the 2023 state golf tournament, senior Jace Melby took to the golf course with an air of confidence in his abilities. After placing 13th at last year’s regional golf tournament, Melby drastically improved upon his finish, tying for sixth place and recording a score of 75.

Melby was not the only Summit golfer to advance their game since last fall, quickly following Melby in the results was senior Evan Wischmeyer and junior Ryan Lankhorst. Thinking that this may be his final high school golf tournament, Wischmeyer dropped 33 spots from last year’s regional tournament, shooting a 83 and tying for 13th place alongside Lankhorst and Broomfield High School’s Jake Orvis.

Junior Hogan Tobias rounded out the performances for the Tigers in Montrose. Jumping up 19 places from last year, Tobias recorded a score of 87 to place 23rd overall. 

Summit scored a total of 241 points and combined for 28 over par in order to place third overall. Grand Junction High School won the region with a score of 207 (-6) and Durango High School took the final state-qualifying team spot with a score of 219 (+6).

“I was super impressed with how they came together, especially yesterday,” head coach Zach Dobrota said. “They got off to a pretty good start and then kind of got a little lax in the middle of the round. It showed in their scoring, but they held it together to finish strong. It is a pretty solid testament to their season where they kind of did the same thing.”

Summit may have finished one spot out of qualifying as a team, but Melby, Lankhorst and Wischmeyer all successfully qualified as individuals for the state tournament with Tobias serving as an alternate. 

“It is huge for sure,” Wischmeyer said. “We have a great squad of boys. We are a little hard on each other sometimes, but I feel like we have a great brotherhood. We love being with each other and it is cool to see all of us succeed.”

The accomplishment not only shows the progress the team has made over the last few seasons, but also how Summit County is slowly becoming an area chock-full of competitive, young golfers.

“My time at the high school has been short, but talking to the kids, some parents and local community guys who pay attention to how the high school team does, it seems like there has been a big uptick in golf,” Dobrota said. “I know a lot of it has to do with the junior program over at Keystone getting kids involved with golf at a much younger age. Which is awesome to see and can be tough in a small community like this.”

Wischmeyer has been on the team since his freshman year and in that time, has seen his own golf game steadily improve from one year to the next.

“It is super cool to see all the work that has been going on over the last  four years pay off,” Wischmeyer said. “It was scary on the last hole, knowing that it may be my last-ever high school golf hole. To be able to play well enough to make it through is a huge accomplishment. … I feel like (Zach) has been a great addition to the team. We have had quite a bit of success. We won a couple tournaments and now we have some state qualifiers.”

With the Colorado 4A boys golf state championship scheduled for Monday, Oct. 7, and Tuesday, Oct. 8, at the Tiara Rado Golf Course in Redlands, Dobrota will work to prepare his team both physically and mentally for the competition.

“I think the way to approach it from a coaching perspective is that this is bonus golf,” Dobrota said. “This is time to have fun and see what you are capable of, really have a go for it. Go for broke and really enjoy yourself and have fun because this is the end. Jace and Evan graduate this year, so this is going to be our last attempt at winning a tournament at the high-school level.”

As opposed to earlier in the season when Dobrota preached about playing team golf, he will now tell his athletes to play selfishly in Redlands and to let their own individual skills shine.

“I could see all three of them and Hogan, if he gets into it as he is the alternate, all wearing a medal around their neck and finishing within the top 10 in the state,” Dobrota said. ” … The easiest way to describe it to them is to be selfish. It is time for you to shine. I know we made it as a team, but we are not able to compete as a team. Come Monday, know what you know how to do and try to beat the pants off of everyone else, including your teammates.” 

The state golf tournament will consist of two, 18-hole stroke play rounds. 84 golfers will be featured at the tournament with all four regions in 4A sending two teams (32) and 13 individuals (52).The first group of golfers are scheduled to tee off at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 7.