THORNTON | Brutal conditions made the opening day of the Class 5A girls state golf tournament a significant challenge for a field of 13 qualifiers from Aurora area programs, who had largely better finishes in the May 19 second round.

Cold, wind and non-stop rain May 18 forced adjustments and mental fortitude — which was reflected in mostly inflated scores, while one area player withdrew afterward — but seven of the 12 locals who finished shot better in calmer conditions at Thorncreek G.C.

Regis Jesuit finished fifth as a team with a 20-stroke margin over Cherokee Trail, which came in seventh, while Grandview finished in 14th place in a field of 17 teams with at least the three players qualified to get a team score.

Leading the way for the Raiders was senior Natalie Furgason, a multiple-time state qualifier who tied for 15th individually. Furgason managed a plus-8 80 in the conditions of the opening round and followed that up with an 84 for a two-day total of 164, which gave her a two-stroke margin over teammate Emily Gott.

The third score for coach Kathleen Seig’s team came from Claire Pariset, who shaved eight strokes off her first round score with an 83 to finish at 174.

Cherokee Trail’s leader was Marisa Vialpando, who shot 85 in both rounds to finish in a tie for 26th place, while put her one stroke and two places clear of Brinnon Cook. Saruul Gantulga came next for coach Justin Jajczyk’s Cougars (182) tied for 42nd.

All three of the scoring players for coach Kurtis Bailey’s Grandview team —Jean Lim (who shot 90 in the second round to tie for 46th), Elizabeth Chang (whose 92 lifted her into 55th) and Charly Ashworth (who shot 91 — an eight-stroke improvement from the opening round — to tie for 59th — had better second rounds.

Smoky Hill freshman Erianna Perez shot plus-21 in the opening round and withdrew.

Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at [email protected]. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports

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