The 2023 Golf season was a big success for the Reds. Eaton had four different players qualify for state this season. The four qualifiers were Peyton Walker (24), Dayne Schmidke (26), Logan Cole (27), and Grady O’Connell (25). This year’s boys 3A State Championship was hosted at Raindance Golf Course in Windsor, Colorado.
The boys had a very successful season, but in order to make it to state, they would first have to have a strong performance at regionals at Boomerang Golf Course in Greeley, Colorado. In order to qualify for state, a team can qualify by being one of the two top teams. Individuals can qualify by being within the top 13, after the eight from the two teams are decided. The boys did just that by taking second place and solidifying all four of their golfers to move on to state. The Reds had two, top three performances with Schmidke taking second and Walker taking third. In fact, all of the boys finished within the top 50 proving their resilience and commanding a second place finish.
The state championship brought together high school teams from all over the region, making it a fiercely competitive event. The tournament is formatted to last two days and the team and individual players with the best scores added between the two days win the tournament. Eaton faced off against tough opponents who had also demonstrated their skills and determination throughout the season. Raindance is a PGA-regulated course, meaning that Eaton had to perform under conditions that pros face in their tournaments.
Dayne Schmidke (26) said, “Raindance played a lot longer than other courses and many of the greens would run away from you and were very fast. The atmosphere at the state was pretty similar to most tournaments, just to go out and play and to win. I look forward to being able to compete in the tournament next year after being able to get a feel for the course and its atmosphere this year.”
Eaton took 11th place at state this year. With a very long course and fast greens that tormented players, the Reds are definitely very happy with their finish this year. Walker finished amongst the highest of the tournament, by placing 15th overall. Schmidke placed 51st, Cole placed 67th and O’Connell placed 76th. Raindance is rated as one of the toughest courses in Colorado and the player’s skills to the test, but the boys still took what they had and came out with impressive scores.
Walker (24) said. “I definitely felt more dialed in those tournaments that I shot 68 in. The mindset going into the match was to just stay steady throughout the round and take advantage of what I could. It’s definitely hard to not let the excitement get to your game and you really just have to take it hole by hole and not worry about past or future shots.”
Individually, a standout player from the Eaton High School golf team, Peyton Walker (24), achieved a remarkable 15th place overall at the state championship. Walker’s performance was a testament to his talent and hard work, earning him recognition among the top high school golfers in the region. He had multiple dominating rounds this year, two by him shooting a phenomenal 68. In reference, if he hit par which is the average strokes it should take per hole, he would have hit a 71. Walker had to hit three holes under par in order to reach this outstanding score.
Walker (24) said, “I am looking at mainly at junior colleges so I can get more opportunities than if I were to go to the other D1s that gave me an opportunity. I plan to study sports management or sports medicine and after a semester or a year of playing at the junior college level.”
Walker looks to take his talents to the next step in his post high school career. The playing field from high school to college gets even more competitive with only a handful getting the opportunity to exceed to the next level. Walker has shown his dedication and hard work with his runs through the season and will continue to do so wherever he competes next. The Eaton High School golf team’s performance at the state championship serves as a source of immense pride for the team. Their 11th-place team finish and
Walker’s 15th-place individual finish reflect the culmination of hard work. Eaton can look forward to a bright future with such promising athletes as the four who competed in the state this year. Eaton is losing a key piece to their team this year in Walker and will definitely be in eager need of the next player to step up and go low. Congratulations to the Eaton Reds golf team for their remarkable season and achievements on the greens.
