LITTLETON | The only putt Mary Weinstein made was the one her Regis Jesuit team needed Tuesday.
Shortly after an hour-long delay due to severe weather, the sophomore drained a short putt to birdie Hole No. 18 and celebrated with a fist pump and two hops in the air.
Weinstein put the finishing touches on a gritty day for the Raiders, who overcame a lot of adversity at times — including a deficit of as many as six strokes — to win Regis Jesuit’s first Class 5A girls state golf championship and the third in program history.
Coach George Miller’s Regis Jesuit team of Weinstein, junior Sydney Gillespie, sophomore Erika Sailer and freshman Jaclyn Murray rallied past Continental League rival Rock Canyon to finish three shots clear of the Jaguars, who had the individual medalist in Michelle Romano.
“This rain delay I was able to calm down because I wasn’t doing the best; I feel like it was for the best,” Weinstein said. “The last putt was the only putt I made today, so I was pretty happy I made it.”
Miller’s team won a state championship for the third time in the past five seasons, adding to the 4A crowns the Raiders captured in 2010 and 2012, when Gillespie was a freshman.
Regis Jesuit’s best individual places came from Weinstein and Gillespie, who finished in a four-way tie for 10th.
Gillespie shot an uncharacteristic 13-over-par in her first round on a course she knows very well, though a 15-foot put for par on Hole No. 18 to end the round gave her a mental lift.
“I just felt in me that there was something left to be done,” Gillespie said. “I was just thinking let’s go shoot 66, or try to, and we’ll just add them up at the end of the day.”
She bogeyed three of the first seven holes in her second round, however, but she was money for her team over the final 11 holes. From No. 8 to No. 17, Gillespie made nine pars and recorded her only birdie of the two days on No. 15 before finishing with a double bogey on 18.
Weinstein also struggled early and put shots into water on consecutive holes on the front nine, only to finish strong with three pars in a four-hole stretch before her closing birdie.
Murray felt the frustration the entire field did with putting, but made the most of her first state tournament with a gritty effort of her own. She shot one strong higher than in her first round, but cut her double bogeys from three to one and finished just 4-over on her back nine.
“I feel so good, I can’t describe it; it’s such an amazing feeling,” Murray said. “It was really hard, but knowing the team and the support system you have with this team, there’s no way you can’t pull through. It was just a great experience to have. I enjoyed it so much.”
Sailer’s score wasn’t needed in the team score, but she also had some resilient spots in her final round. She made par on five holes in a six-hole stretch between the front nine and back nine.
“I’m really proud of my teammates, I know every single one of us grinded out our best and did whatever we could,” Sailer said. “This is just super exciting.”
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. Facebook: Aurora Prep Sentinel
2014 CLASS 5A GIRLS STATE GOLF TOURNAMENT
Team scores: 1. REGIS JESUIT 245-240 — 485; 2. Rock Canyon 245-243 — 488; 3. Arapahoe 255-238 — 493; 4. Legacy 245-152 — 496; 5. Cherry Creek 251-254 — 505; 6. Skyline 256-252 — 508; 7. Heritage 261-257 — 518; 8. Denver East 250-270 — 520; 9. Ralston Valley 260-260 — 520; 10. Legend 259-264 — 523; 11. Highlands Ranch 264-262 — 526; 12. Fossil Ridge 273-254 — 527; 13. GRANDVIEW 265-274 — 539; 14. Fairview 281-283 — 564; 15. Boulder 290-289 — 579; 16. Monarch 281-270 — 551
Individual results (par 144): T1. Michelle Romano (Rock Canyon) 78-75 — 153 (won in playoff); T1. Hannah Wood (Arapahoe) 78-75 — 153; T3. Anna Kennedy (Legend) 80-74 — 154; T3. Sydney Merchant (Dakota Ridge) 77-77 — 154; T3. Jaylee Tait (Columbine) 75-79 — 154; 6. Erin Sargent (Skyline) 79-76 — 155; T7. MORGAN SAHM (GRANDVIEW) 75-82 — 157; T7. Calli Ringsby (Cherry Creek) 78-79 — 157; 9. Samantha Barker (Highlands Ranch) 79-81 — 160; T10. SYDNEY GILLESPIE (REGIS JESUIT) 85-76 — 161; T10. MARY WEINSTEIN (REGIS JESUIT) 79-82 — 161; T10. Ashley Kirschner (Ralston Valley) 78-83 — 161; T10. Sarah Hunt (Denver East) 76-85 — 161; T14. Gillian Vance (Dakota Ridge) 83-79 — 162; T14. Sarah Hankins (Legacy) 82-80 — 162; T14. Mary Kate Nelson (Pine Creek) 80-82 — 162; T14. Adara Pauluhn (Skyline) 78-84 — 162; 18. JACLYN MURRAY (REGIS JESUIT) 81-82 — 163; 19. Zarena Brown (Pomona) 79-85 — 164; 20. Delaney Benson (Heritage) 84-81 — 165; T21. Jenni Chun (Highlands Ranch) 88-78 — 166; T21. Holly Schaefer (Arapahoe) 85-81 — 166; T21. Delaney Elliott (Monarch) 84-82 — 166; T24. Jennifer Hankins (Legacy) 82-85 — 167; T24. Andrea Hoos (Leacy) 81-86 — 167; 26. Katie Larson (Fossil Ridge) 88-80 — 168; T27. Heather Kroll (Horizon) 87-82 — 169; T27. Alexis Chan (Rock Canyon) 85-84 — 169; T27. Amelia Lee (Rock Canyon) 82-87 — 169; 30. Madison McCambridge (Fairview) 84-86 — 170; T31. Claire Stirdivant (Denver East) 81-91 — 172; T31. Jackie Biggs (Cherry Creek) 81-91 — 172; T33. Joanna Kempton (Heritage) 85-88 — 173; T33. Ali Pepper (Arvada West) 84-89 — 173; T35. JULIA KIM (RANGEVIEW) 87-87 — 174; T35. Reagan Ritchey (Brighton) 84-90 — 174; 37. Mary Luckasen (Fossil Ridge) 92-84 — 176; T38. FAITH HOPE (CHEROKEE TRAIL) 89-88 — 177; T38. Nikki Backman (Arapahoe) 95-82 — 177; T38. Molly Lucas (Cherry Creek) 92-85 — 177; 41. Carly Gallant (Monarch) 94-84 — 178; T42. Haylee Hornick (Rock Canyon) 95-84 — 179; T42. Sydney Prey (Ralston Valley) 91-88 — 179; 44. Jordan Remley (Ralston Valley) 91-89 — 180; 45. McKenna Reppe (Legend) 88-93 — 181; T46. ERIKA SAILER (REGIS JESUIT) 93-90 — 183; T46. Kenzi Hueter (Fossil Ridge) 93-90 — 183; T46. Stephanie Bang (Cherry Creek) 93-90 — 183; 49. Taylor Sunset (Fairview) 92-92 — 184; T50. CAROLINE O’DONNELL (GRANDVIEW) 93-92 — 185; T50. Hannah Eddy (Arapahoe) 92-93 — 185; 52. Kendra George (Heritage) 98-88 — 186; 53. Aly Beeman (Boulder) 97-90 — 187; T54. Lauren Pearson (Chatfield) 96-92 — 188; T54. Cammie Fowler (Fossil Ridge) 94-94 — 188; T54. Julia Baroth (Denver East) 94-94 — 188; T54. Aili Bundy (Loveland) 91-97 — 188; T59. Erika Truong (Heritage) 92-98 — 190; T59. Sammie Medina (Central G.J.) 88-102 — 190; 61. Claire McPeak (Skyline) 99-92 — 191; 62. Emma Hesse (Lakewood) 97-95 — 192; T63. Leia Vadeen (Northglenn) 104-89 — 193; T63. Katie Engel (Mountain Range) 101-92 — 193; T63. Alex Jaros (Boulder) 93-100 — 193 66. Elena Barboza (Denver East) 93-101 — 194; 67. EMILY JUNG (GRANDVIEW) 97-100 — 197; 68. Victoria Thompson (Pine Creek) 102-96 — 198; T69. Danielle Picard (Boulder) 103-99 — 202; T69. Bailey Summers (Grand Junction) 100-102 — 202; 71. Mikayla Knoebel (Highlands Ranch) 97-107 — 204; 72. Taylor Head (Central G.J.) 99-106 — 205; T73. Remy Mullen (Monarch) 103-104 — 207; T73. Leah Perletz (Boulder) 100-107 — 207; 75. Corinne Wilson (Columbine) 110-98 — 208; 76. Megan Volkmann (Fruita Monument) 100-109 — 209; T77. Delaney Knoebel (Highlands Ranch) 107-103 — 210; T77. Tara Srinivas (Fairview) 105-105 — 210; 79. Miranda Schiffbauer (Arvada West) 109-102 — 211; 80. Haley Doty (Lakewood) 101-111 — 212; 81. Katie Rice (Fruita Monument) 112-103 — 215; 82. Lexi Valenzuela (Bear Creek) 110-112 — 222; 83. Sirena Maynes (Prairie View) 108-118 — 226; Duval Sutherland (Legend) 104-DQ
