Local college golf teams have gone into hibernation for the winter — or at least until the beginning of February — but the recently-completed fall season was one to remember for several Division I players from Colorado. And some of the teams from the state’s universities fared pretty well too.
Winning major college invitational tournaments is no small feat, yet a handful of local players pulled it off this fall. Senior Brian Dorfman of Greenwood Village won twice for Georgetown, while fellow Coloradans Becca Huffer (a senior at Notre Dame, pictured) and Beau Schoolcraft (a junior at Colorado) both posted their first college victories. In addition, Coloradan Lindsay McGetrick, a freshman at North Carolina State, won a tournament — though it wasn’t part of the Wolfpack’s varsity schedule — and Air Force Academy sophomore Kyle Westmoreland claimed the title at the Service Academy Golf Classic.
Beyond that, several other Coloradans recorded their best Division I college finishes with top-10 showings, including Michael Schoolcraft for Oklahoma (Beau’s brother placed third in an event), Beth Buchner for New Mexico (third place) and Alex Gutesha for Kansas (eighth place).
Team-wise, the CU men won one tournament and lost a playoff in another, while the CU women and Air Force men also posted team victories.
Here’s a brief rundown on how Colorado-based Division I teams fared in the fall:
Air Force Men
National rankings — 150th (Golfstat), 152nd (Golfweek).
Best team finish — First.
Top-five team finishes — One in five tournaments.
Top-five individual finishes — Kyle Westmoreland (first), Robert Belz (second).
Begins Spring season — Feb. 20-21 at Rice Intercollegiate.
Notable — The Falcons won the Service Academy Golf Classic for the 15th consecutive time, defeating Navy and Army. Air Force’s Kyle Westmoreland earned the individual title at the tournament.
Colorado State University Men
National rankings — 61st (Golfstat), 64th (Golfweek).
Best team finishes — Third (twice).
Top-five team finishes — Three in five tournaments.
Top-five individual finishes — Zahkai Brown (third), Kirby Pettitt (third).
Top individual national rankings — Zahkai Brown (126th Golfstat, 163rd Golfweek), Kirby Pettitt, (139th Golfstat, 186th Golfweek).
Begins Spring season — Feb. 15-17 at John Burns Intercollegiate is first spring invitational.
Notable — The Rams placed in the top six four times in five fall invitational tournaments.
CSU Women
National rankings — 72nd (Golfstat), 68th (Golfweek).
Best team finishes — Fourth (twice).
Top-five team finishes — Two in five tournaments.
Top-five individual finishes — Betsy Kelly (fourth).
Begins Spring season — Feb. 20-21 at UNLV Spring Invitational.
Top individual national rankings — Betsy Kelly (84th Golfstat, 147th Golfweek), Brianna Espinoza (139th Golfstat, 198th Golfweek).
Notable — The Rams had an up-and-down fall, finishing fourth twice, seventh, 10th and 16th. Kelly posted three top-seven individual performances in the fall.
University of Colorado Men
National rankings — 36th (Coaches), 55th (Golfstat), 56th (Golfweek).
Best team finishes — First outright, and tie for first (lost playoff).
Top-five team finishes — Two in four tournaments.
Top-five individual finishes — Beau Schoolcraft (first), Kevin Kring (third and fifth).
Top individual national rankings — Kevin Kring (124th Golfstat, 182nd Golfweek).
Begins Spring season — Feb. 1-3 at Hawaii-Hilo Intercollegiate.
Notable — The Buffs started the season in stellar fashion, winning their Mark Simpson Invitational and tying for first before losing in a playoff at the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational. And Colorado product Beau Schoolcraft won an individual title in his first official competition for CU. But the Buffs tailed off later in the fall, placing ninth and 16th in their last two tournaments.
CU Women
National rankings — 24th (Coaches), 23rd (Golfstat), 20th (Golfweek).
Best team finish — First.
Top-five team finishes — Two in four tournaments.
Top-five individual finishes — Alex Stewart (fourth), Emily Talley (fifth), Jenny Coleman (fifth).
Begins Spring season — Feb. 5-7 at Arizona Wildcat Invitational.
Top individual national rankings — Alex Stewart (76th Golfstat, 75th Golfweek), Emily Talley (101st Golfstat, 104th Golfweek), Jessica Wallace (125th Golfstat, 123rd Golfweek), Jennifer Coleman (172nd Golfstat, 163rd Golfweek).
Notable — With first- and second-place finishes in the fall, the Buffs are in the top 25 in all of the national rankings.
University of Denver Men
National ranking — 98th (Golfstat), 93rd (Golfweek).
Best team finish — Third.
Top-five team finishes — One in four tournaments.
Top-five individual finishes — Oskar Arvidsson (fifth).
Begins Spring season — Feb. 15-17 at John Burns Intercollegiate.
Notable — The Pioneers placed in the top six in all four of their fall tournaments.
DU Women
National rankings — 39th (Coaches), 40th (Golfstat and Golfweek).
Best team finish — Second.
Top-five team finishes — One in four tournaments.
Top-five individual finishes — none.
Begins Spring season — Feb. 4-6 at Arizona Wildcat Invitational.
Top individual national rankings — Rachael Watton (92nd Golfstat, 90th Golfweek), Tonje Daffinrud (133rd Golfstat, 121st Golfweek).
Notable — Three different DU players — Tonje Daffinrud, Rachael Watton and Kelly Drack — posted top-10 individual finishes in the fall.
University of Northern Colorado Men
National rankings — 220th (Golfstat), 234th (Golfweek).
Best team finish — Fifth.
Top-five team finishes — One in six tournaments.
Top-five individual finishes — none.
Begins Spring season — March 16-17 at National Invitational Tournament.
UNC Women
National rankings — 180th (Golfstat), 181st (Golfweek)
Best team finish — Third.
Top-five team finishes — One in four tournaments.
Top-five individual finishes — Carleigh Silvers (third).
Notable — Carleigh Silvers finished sixth and third in her last two tournaments of the fall season.
Meanwhile, at the NCAA Division II level, the CU-Colorado Springs men are ranked 13th in the nation, while the Colorado School of Mines men are No. 32 and the Colorado State-Pueblo men are No. 44.
