Two-day tournament crammed into one day

Despite a cold, soggy start and disappointing cancellation on the first day, Eaton weathered the storm, placing fourth in the state tournament at Indian Peaks Golf Course in Lafayette with a score of 234. The two-day tournament was cancelled on Monday, Oct. 2 due to the amount of water on the fairways from the storm the night before. Golfers from the 13 qualifying teams in the 3A division were forced to play the tournament Tuesday and miss the advantage of an extra day.

Key player at state was Peter Grossenbacher (19), who hit one over par, setting him up for an eight-way tie for 4th out of 84 players. Grossenbacher, who has golfed his best season ever, said that he replays one phrase in his mind before tournaments and it clearly works for him. “Knowing how to miss them is as important as knowing how to make them,” Grossenbacher said. “Golf has taught me to take away from my mistakes and make improvements.”

Bryce Leafgren (20) said that he handled his nerves well at his first state tournament. “The first tee shot was a little shaky, but after that I was fine,” Leafgren said. “I listened to music on the range to ease my nerves.” Ethan Alcazar (18) said that he felt the most team presence this year over others. “We didn’t play just as individuals,” Alcazar said. “We waited for each other at the end, cheered each other on, kept a positive atmosphere, and each kept the same goal in mind.”

First year varsity player, Walker Scott (20), said that state golf was a great first experience. “The atmosphere was competitive and the team vibe was exhilarating,” Scott said. “I can’t wait to carry on the momentum into next season.”

Coach Gino Maio said that the team played well; however, he thinks the team would have benefited from a two-day tournament to break off the nerves. Maio is happy with how well the team played this year and believes that it was one of the better seasons because he “never had to get on them about practicing because they wanted to make improvements and it really showed in the results.”

Other school placings (par 72):

1. Peak to Peak
2. Kent Denver
3. Aspen
4. Eaton
5. Colorado Academy

Other Eaton Scores:T-23 Ethan Alcazar (79), T-39 Bryce Leafgren (82), T-43 Walker Scott (83)