The GRHS Conference Golf team included, from left, Adam Robertson, Cash Anderson, Brody Fuller, Kaleb Gunter, Mylie Mele, Roman Brown, Jacoby Bundy and Jason Mandros.
The Green River High School Varsity Golf team competed at the 4A West Conference Championship in Casper on September 13 and 14. Day one was contested at Three Crowns Golf Club while day two was held at the Casper Municipal Golf Course. Both days saw windy conditions, with day two being unseasonably cold as well.
Head Coach Karly Eyre said that the weather was not ideal.
"This was one of our windiest tournaments to date," she explained. "That combined with the difficultly of the courses themselves meant we saw higher scores throughout the entire field."
In a stacked field, the Wolves fell short of the top 20 placement needed to qualify for the State Championship. Junior Adam Robertson missed the cut by one stroke, coming in at 21st, with Senior Kaleb Gunter coming in not far behind at 25th.
On the lady's side, Junior Mylie Mele was also a close contender, coming in just 8 strokes off a top 20 spot and finishing in 22nd.
With the Conference realignment that took place last year, the Wolves moved from 3A to 4A, which no automatic bid into the State Championship.
Assistant Coach Danielle Salas shared her thoughts about the difference between competing at the 4A level versus the 3A.
"4A definitely operates differently," she said. "With no guarantee that anyone would make it to the State Championship, we coached the team with that in mind. We tried to prepare them physically and mentally for the added pressure of qualifying for a spot, especially at an unverified tournament. We were informed that there would not be markers at this tournament, something that we weren't use to, as all 3A Conference Championships had markers. But in the end, it is a short season and there is only so much time to prepare."
The 4A West now consists of eight total teams: Green River, Rock Springs, Evanston, Riverton, Star Valley, Jackson Hole, Casper Kelly Walsh, and Casper Natrona. The 4A East only consists of seven teams including Cheyenne South, Cheyenne East, Cheyenne Central, Laramie, Campbell Couanty, Thunder Basin, and Sheridan.
Salas also spoke about how the uneven field affected the outcome for the team.
"We have eight teams in the West, and they have seven teams in the East, however we still only have 20 qualifying spots despite having more participants," she explained. "I think knowing that came into play mentally for the team. We had a Zoom meeting prior to Conference with most of the 4A coaches and the majority agreed that the West needs more qualifying opportunities going forward."
Head coach Karly Eyre expressed her pride on how the team conducted themselves amid disappointment.
"Our team played good golf in less-than-ideal conditions and circumstances, and we could not be more pleased with the effort they all put forth," Eyre said. "For Adam it was especially heartbreaking to miss the cut by only one stroke, but he handled himself with class and continued to represent GRHS Golf in the best way possible."
Salas went on to explain her hopes that the proper adjustments are made on the State level going forward.
"There have been lots of conversations about how Conference and State on the 4A level should look like going forward, and I am confident that with the support of our AD and many others, positive changes will be made so that these tournaments are more equitable for the golfers," Salas said.
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