LOVELAND | With weather threatening to scrub the second round of the Class 5A girls state golf tournament, Regis Jesuit is in the clubhouse in good shape after Monday’s opening round.
But don’t expect the Raiders to doing a rain dance. They want to play Tuesday’s second round at The Olde Course, which was expected to be hit a lot of rain overnight and during the day.
The Colorado High School Activities Association has planned a meeting at 6:30 a.m. to determine if the course will be playable for the second round. If so, the tournament would move to an 8 a.m. shotgun start in place of the traditional tournament, which was originally scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. Should the second round be canceled or not completed, results from the opening round would stand as final.
Regis Jesuit coach George Miller would feel pretty good about the results if the first round is all that counts, as his Raiders own a 13-stroke lead over Continental League rival Rock Canyon in the team standings with a score of plus-5 221. The other Aurora team in the field, Grandview, sat in a tie for fourth among 16 schools that had enough qualifiers to register a team score.
“We’re not sitting around hoping it rains,” Miller said. “We had a fun day and we’re planning on playing tomorrow. I know all of them are hoping we play.”
Senior Sydney Gillespie — who had to bolt out after the first round to attend Regis Jesuit’s graduation and expected to return late Monday night — would definitely like a chance to play a second round, as she fired a 2-under-par 70 to sit just two strokes behind Dakota Ridge’s Gillian Vance for the individual lead.
Despite a bogey on her first hole, Gillespie made birdie on Holes No. 7 and No. 8 and finished the front nine at 2-under, then played even on the back side. She and Vance were in the same group and played neck-and-neck until Vance made three birdies in the first six holes of the back nine to get a little separation.
“Sydney was her usual self, playing amazingly solid golf,” Miller said. “She has her eyes set on first place, so she really hopes we play.”
Regis Jesuit junior Mary Weinstein had a pair of birdies on the back nine and finished with a 3-over 75, tying her for seventh overall, while sophomore Jaclyn Murray played the back side even after a 4-over front nine to come in with a ninth-place 76.
Neither were happy with their performances either, even though they played well enough to ease Miller’s concern that another team would have an incredible day and end up winning if the second round was canceled. His worry was unfounded.
“They are all really great at hanging in there and not letting things bother them,” said Miller, who also had Ali Timlin shoot 95 in her state debut.
“It doesn’t seem to really matter what happens, they pull out good scores,” he added.
Grandview’s Morgan Sahm also has a shot at the individual title if the second round is played.
The junior standout had perhaps the individual highlight of the opening round with an eagle on the par-5, 495-yard Hole No. 13. The two strokes she shaved off her score with the eagle helped Sahm get to even and she finished with a plus-1 73 that has her tied for third individually.
Sahm — the individual Centennial League medalist and regional winner as well — had a share of the state lead after one round last season and finished seventh after a ninth-place showing as a freshman.
Senior Caroline O’Donnell finished at plus-11 and junior Emily Jung provided the Wolves’ third necessary score with a plus-15. Both played at the state tournament last season and had remarkably better opening rounds this time, as both managed to shoot 10 strokes better than they did last season at Raccoon Creek G.C.
Freshman Caitlin O’Donnell turned in an 89 in her first round of state.
As an individual qualifier, Cherokee Trail junior Sydney Yu shot a plus-18 90.
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
2015 CLASS 5A GIRLS STATE GOLF TOURNAMENT
Team and individual scores via iwanamaker.com
Team scores (through first round, par 216): 1. REGIS JESUIT 221; 2. Rock Canyon 234; 3. Legacy 237; T4. GRANDVIEW 243; T4. Ralston Valley 243; T4. Heritage 243; T7. Denver East 250; T7. Cherry Creek 250; 9. Monarch 251; 10. Loveland 256; 11. Fairview 260; T12. Legend 257; T12. Fossil Ridge 257; T14. Arapahoe 266; T14. Broomfield 266; 16. Arvada West 271
Top 10 individuals (par 72): 1. Gillian Vance (Dakota Ridge) 68; 2. SYDNEY GILLESPIE (REGIS JESUIT) 70; T3. MORGAN SAHM (GRANDVIEW) 73; T3. Ashlyn Kirschner (Ralston Valley) 73; T3. Alexis Chan (Rock Canyon) 73; 6. Jennifer Hankins (Legacy) 74; T7. MARY WEINSTEIN (REGIS JESUIT) 75; T7. Maddy McCambridge (Fairview) 75; T9. JACLYN MURRAY (REGIS JESUIT) 76; T9. Delaney Elliott (Monarch) 76
Aurora team-by-team results (in order of finish)
Regis Jesuit (221): Sydney Gillespie 70, Mary Weinstein 75, Jaclyn Murray 76, Ali Timlin 95; Grandview (243): Morgan Sahm 73, Caroline O’Donnell 83, Emily Jung 87, Caitlin O’Donnell 89; Cherokee Trail (NS): Sydney Yu 90
