Colorado-based college programs will defend 5 team and 2 individual titles at conference tournaments — after a 2-year wait
By Gary Baines – 4/16/2021
For many of the college golf teams based in Colorado — particularly the NCAA Division I programs — it might seem like just yesterday that their tournament season began. Yet the end of the regular season is already here in most cases, with the postseason beginning over the next 2 1/2 weeks.
In other words, the season could be over for some teams just a couple of months after it began. That’s certainly a far cry from what is normal, with the season usually beginning in September and concluding in April or May. But that’s just the reality as Covid-19 safety concerns nixed the fall portion of the schedule for all nine of the DI golf programs in the state.
After the spring schedule began in late January, February or early March — depending on the program — conference tournaments are just about to begin. In all, there are 10 on tap — five each for men and women — beginning on Sunday with the men’s and women’s NCAA Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference meets in Litchfield Park, Ariz.
Considering that all of last year’s conference tournaments were canceled due to Covid, this will be the first time they’ve been held since 2019. And after the conference meets come NCAA regional and national championships — for those teams that qualify or are selected.
Long wait or not since the last conference championships, a remarkable five Colorado-based programs will be defending their team titles in the coming weeks. The University of Denver swept the men’s and women’s Summit League championships, the University of Northern Colorado men won the Big Sky title, and the Colorado School of Mines men and the Colorado State University-Pueblo women earned Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victories.
Also, local schools claimed four individual titles, with three of those players still being active in the college ranks: Mary Weinstein and Cal McCoy of DU, and UNC’s Beah Cruz. Cruz, however, isn’t on UNC’s roster for the women’s Big Sky tournament.
It should be noted that two Colorado teams — the CSU and Air Force Academy men —still have some regular-season action before the conference meet.
Here’s the lineup for conference tournaments featuring Colorado-based schools:
RMAC men in Litchfield Park, Ariz., April 18-20
Defending Team Champion (from 2019): Colorado School of Mines.
Top individual finisher from a Colorado-based school: Nick Beno of Mines (since graduated), who finished third.
RMAC women in Litchfield Park, Ariz., April 18-20
Defending Team Champion (from 2019): CSU-Pueblo.
Top individual finisher from a Colorado-based school: CSU-Pueblo’s Orakorn Thirayatorn (since graduated), who claimed the title.
Big Sky women in Molalla, Ore., April 19-21
Team Finish by Colorado-Based Program (from 2019): UNC was third.
Top Individual Finish by Colorado-Based Program (from 2019): UNC’s Beah Cruz won the title.
Mountain West women in Mission Hills, Calif., April 20-21
Team Finish by Colorado-Based Program (from 2019): CSU was eighth.
Top Individual Finish by Colorado-Based Program (from 2019): Ellen Secor (now at Oklahoma) was 17th.
Pac-12 women in Stanford, Calif., April 23-25
Team Finish by Colorado-Based Program (from 2019): CU was 11th.
Top Individual Finish by Colorado-Based Program (from 2019): CU’s Kirsty Hodgkins tied for 26th.
Summit League women in Newton, Kan., April 24-26
Team Finish by Colorado-Based Program (from 2019): DU won the title.
Top Individual Finish by Colorado-Based Program (from 2019): DU’s Mary Weinstein of Highlands Ranch claimed the championship.
Big Sky men in Boulder City, Nev., April 25-27
Team Finish by Colorado-Based Program (from 2019): UNC won the team championship.
Top Individual Finish by Colorado-Based Program (from 2019): UNC’s Coby Welch (since graduated) was fifth.
Pac-12 men in Santa Rosa, Calif., April 26-28
Team Finish by Colorado-Based Program (from 2019): 10th.
Top Individual Finish by Colorado-Based Program (from 2019): Daniel O’Loughlin was 33rd.
Mountain West men in Tucson, April 30-May 1
Team Finish by Colorado-Based Programs (from 2019): CSU placed second and Air Force 10th.
Top Individual Finish by Colorado-Based Programs (from 2019): CSU’s AJ Ott tied for fifth. Air Force’s Luke Trujillo was 35th.
Summit League men in Newton, Kan., May 1-3
Team Finish by Colorado-Based Program (from 2019): DU won the title.
Top Individual Finish by Colorado-Based Programs (from 2019): DU’s Cal McCoy earned the individual championship, winning a four-man playoff that also involved teammate Esteban Missura.