GREELEY – It has been 80 years since the last time the Holy Family Tigers were able to hang a banner in their gym that denoted a golf state championship.
You won’t find any record of that on the state associations website either, it was the boys claiming victory in the Parochial League tournament in 1945. On Tuesday afternoon, the Tigers girls etched their names in history with a commanding 31 shot team victory over their old Catholic school rivals from Mullen to win the Class 3A state championship on a blustery day at Boomerang Links.
“This is awesome. (Coach) Heikke (Nielsen) is doing so many great things for the team in the last couple of years and the program has grown so much,” said junior Peyton Mraz, who finished solo third after carrying the overnight lead into Day 2. “We had 24 girls go out this year and unfortunately not everyone can be a part of the team, but even though there were only four girls here, it was for all the girls.”
The foursome of Mraz, Steffi Heitz, Acadia Curtis and Finley Holmes scored a two-day total of 29-over 276 to better the Mustangs’ 507. Lutheran was third with 519.
Holy Family placed three girls – Mraz, Heitz and Curtis – in the top seven.
The medalist honors belong to Timnath’s CheyAnne Schrick. The Cubs sophomore entered the day two shots behind Mraz after an opening day 74 on the par-72 layout, but that lead was erased after Mraz doubled the first and Schrick settled into the conditions with a routine par-birdie start.
“It was hard, but you just had to push through it all,” said Schrick of the ridiculous conditions the field was facing on Tuesday. “Those opening nine holes really helped and it set me up for success. But really I was thinking one shot at a time to get through it.”
Most assume the difficulty on a windy day is from tee to green, but being precise around the greens is just as difficult an Schrick was brilliant all day around Boomerang’s slippery surfaces. She got up-and-down several times and when she wasn’t doing that she was sinking putts.
“I really think that was the difference,” she said. “If your short game is good, it;s really just a matter of getting up to the green and getting it close.”
Schrick didn’t take advantage of the gettable par-5’s at Boomerang, but still made four birdies in her final round that offset what could have been two costly doubles on her inward nine with Littleton’s Zoe Bar-Or nipping at her heels. Her two round total of 150 was two clear of the Lions junior, who made a furious second day attempt with a well-played 2-over 74.
“That was the most nervous I’ve ever been in my life and I’m still shaking,” Schrick said. “At the same time, this is the best feeling I’ve had in my life, it;s just a really cool accomplishment.
“This was in my little goal book from the start of the season, right at the top, and I’m excited to cross it off. Actually doing it is game changing.”
All eyes were on Mraz after a dazzling opening round 72.
You could tell the nerves were with Mraz on the opening tee-shot and a wayward drive into the native grass that separated the 1st fairway from the 9th. She had to take her medicine that resulted in an opening double bogey that instantly dropped the lead to one.
“I woke up early and I just kept thinking, if I shoot this then I could probably win or this or that,” Mraz said. “The endless thoughts and knowing that the weather was going to be bad made it a tough night of sleep.
“It was a tough way to start, but everyone said that there was still a lot of golf to play, so there was no reason to take that one mistake and carry it over to the next.”
The lead was gone by the time she finished the par-3 No. 4 and she was chasing the rest of the way against both of her playing partners, who were steady in the constant winds.
Mraz righted the ship over the next eight holes and in the miserable conditions, played them in 3-over to stay within striking distance of the top. A costly third and final double on the par-4 14th finally derailed any chances of becoming Holy Family’s third medalist, and first since Jess Mason in 2021.
“It was definitely a mental battle, because the wind takes a lot out of you,” she said. “You tend to overthink every shot and you think,” should I swing harder; but it is really a matter of settling into your game and just playing your game and you will be okay.”
