Kenley Wilson fourth at Powell Invitational

The Lovell High School golf team opened the 2026 season with a solid performance at the Powell High School Fall Invitational last Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 12-13, including a fourth-place finish by senior Kenley Wilson in the girls division.

The Bulldogs then traveled to Worland Monday and Tuesday for the Worland Invitational.

Wilson came on strong on day two of the meet in Powell, shooting a score of 85 Thursday after shooting 96 on Wednesday, giving her a final score of 181, good for fourth place.

Since Wilson was the only female golfer, there was no team score for the Lady Bulldogs.

“She shot a respectable 96 on day one and then became a woman possessed on day two with an 85,” head coach Dane Robertson said. “Her swing looked like it had just gone through Minchow’s Service Station with how greased and smooth it looked. She’s matching up the physical and mental aspects of the game of golf, and it showed for sure.”

The Lovell boys placed fifth in Powell in the 11-team field with a two-day score of 709, improving from a score of 360 Wednesday to 349 Thursday.

“Our first tournament of the year started off not too shabby,” Robertson said. “Our boys placed fifth as a team in a pretty big field. I was extremely pleased with the progress we saw both individually and as a team.

“The 349 on the second day was especially encouraging for us. Last season our boys typically hovered around 395 as a team, so shooting 360 was already a significant step forward. Coming back the next day and posting a 349 put us 46 strokes better than that typical total score from last year.”

The top scorer for the Bulldogs was senior Rocco Rael, who shot a score of 174 over two days, one shot ahead of teammate Kaeson Anderson, who finished with a score of 175. Rael finished 27th, Anderson 28th in the large field.

Rael shot 87 on both days, while Anderson shot 88 Wednesday and 87 Thursday.

Not far behind the senior duo, Rocky Mountain senior Kellan Jackson (playing for Lovell) shot 92-86--178 to place 30th, and Rocky freshman Madden Cooley shot 93-89--182 for 31st place. Lovell sophomore Hudson Miller shot 99-99—198 to round out the varsity team for Lovell.

For junior varsity golfers, freshman Brock Butler shot 99-103—202, junior Kade Durtsche 110-99—209, junior Kelvin Robertson 105-116—221, freshman Gage Bair 112-111—223 and sophomore Jasper Lopez 125 on day one, no score on day two.

Worland

Wilson had another top-10 finish in Worland this week, shooting 89-87—176 to place seventh in the field of 36.

As for the boys team, the Bulldogs had both ups and downs on the Worland course.

“It was a mixed bag over the two days for us,” Robertson said. “We had a range of emotions on the bus – from consternation and frustration by some to smiles and joy by others. That goes to show how the range of emotions a golf course can bring you.

“Golf truly is a relaxing way to get super disappointed in yourself at times. However, we really did see some great golf by everybody at different times, and nobody should be too hard on themselves.”

Anderson led the Lovell boys with a 16th-place finish in the field of 76, shooting 82-79—161, and Rael finished 39th, shooting 95 Monday but rebounding to record an 87 on Tuesday for a final score of 182.

Jackson was close behind in 41st with a two-day performance of 90-93—183. Miller finished 48th, shooting 96-99—195, and Butler shot 98-98—196 for 50th place, Cooley 92-109—201.

Durtsche scored 108-97—205 (56th), Bair 109-103—212 and Robertson 103-111—214 (66th).

The Bulldogs placed eighth among 12 scoring teams with a two-day score of 359-358—717.

“Kaeson played amazingly well both days,” Robertson said. “To shoot an 82 and follow that up with a 79 is a testament to his mental fortitude and just downright athletic ability. Kenley also shot two great rounds and was comfortable in the 80s. She’s fun to watch swing a golf club.

“Rocco was disappointed in his first day score but came back to shoot an 87. The course tried to give him fits during day two, but he kept his head, and I was proud of him for fighting for that second-round score.

The Bulldogs are off this weekend and will return to action August 27-28 at the Cody Invitational.

“We don’t go to Cody until next Thursday/Friday, so we actually get a few days of practice to work on some things that were thorns in our sides over the last couple of weeks,” Robertson said.