A memorable finish to the 2023 season could be a precursor to an even bigger 2024 for the Cherokee Trail boys golf team.
The Cougars tied for second place at the Class 5A state tournament at Collindale Golf Club in Fort Collins — though they didn’t come home with a trophy, which went to Cherry Creek after a team playoff hole (story, here) — and hinted at what could be in store for the future as the entire lineup is expected to return.
Sophomores Brayden Forte and Dalton Sisneros and junior Christopher O’Donnell earned spots on the 2023 Aurora Sentinel All-Aurora Boys Golf Team — which is based on state tournament performance — which also includes Regis Jesuit junior Ben Sander, Grandview junior Michael Rosman and Eaglecrest sophomore Gregory White.
A week prior to the state tournament, Forte won medalist honors at the Central Region tournament after a season in which he finished in third place individually in the Centennial League to earn all-league first team honors. He continued his strong play at the state tournament as he made a run at the championship, but like the rest of the field, couldn’t keep up with Rock Canyon’s Charlie Tucker, who was under par in both rounds to win by six strokes.
Forte’s performance — which saw him shoot rounds of 1-under-par 70 and 1-over 72 for a two-day total of even-par 142 — gave coach Jason Leclaire’s Cougars the score they needed to be in the team chase as well. Some bad fortune on the last two holes for Forte ended with Cherokee Trail tied with Centennial League rival Cherry Creek for second place.
Sisneros finished in a tie for fifth in the cumulative league standings to make the all-league first team, then sealed a regional championship for the Cougars with an eagle on the 18th hole. His first state tournament appearance started out a bit rough as he was plus-6 after the first nine holes, but he played the next 27 at plus-1 to finish in a tie for 14th place with rounds of 71 and 79.
O’Donnell was the most seasoned of the Cherokee Trail players as he had already made it to the state tournament on two previous occasions. He had a strong regular season in which he earned All-Centennial League first team honors and helped the Cougars secure the regional crown. O’Donnell finished tied for 62nd at state last season and 52nd in 2021, but far surpassed those results this time. He shot rounds of 76 and 77 to finish in a tie for 25th.
Regis Jesuit also won a regional championship and qualified for the state tournament as a team, but a few rough patches dropped coach Craig Rogers’ Raiders to sixth in the final standings.
The top performance came from Sander, who had a strong season in which he achieved All-Continental League second team honors. In his first state tournament, Sander opened with a strong round of plus-1 72 (which included three birdies on his first nine holes) and followed that with a 74 to put himself in a two-way tie for sixth play with a two-day total of a plus-4 146.
Rosman played at the state tournament as a sophomore in 2022 and he finished in a tie for 62nd, but made a significant rise this season. He achieved All-Centennial League first team honors as he had the seventh-most points after five tournaments, including a runner-up finish in the league meet at Saddle Rock G.C.
Rosman qualified for state individually from regionals and got off to a flying state start with a 72. A tough back nine in the final round dropped him a few places down on the leaderboard into a tie for 14th.
White was Aurora’s top finisher last season at state as he tied for eighth, but he ended up in a deadlock with O’Donnell for 25th this time. During the season, he won three tournaments — two in the Centennial League as well as the Southern Regional — and shot 73 (which included four birdies) and 80 at state for a two-day total of 153.
— Full Class 5A boys golf state team and individual results, here
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2023 AURORA SENTINEL ALL-AURORA BOYS GOLF TEAM
First team
Brayden Forte, soph., Cherokee Trail; Christopher O’Donnell, jr., Cherokee Trail; Michael Rosman, jr., Grandview; Ben Sander, jr., Regis Jesuit; Dalton Sisneros, soph., Cherokee Trail; Gregory White, soph., Eaglecrest
Honorable mention: Anthony Chen, fr., Cherokee Trail; Anthony Lore, jr., Regis Jesuit; Hudson Roth, soph., Smoky Hill; Roland Thornton, jr., Regis Jesuit; Sam Walker, jr., Regis Jesuit
