Lovell golfers strong at state tourney in Rawlins

The Lovell High School golf team concluded the 2024 season over the weekend with some strong performances at the Class 3A State Tournament on the windswept plains of southern Wyoming in Rawlins.

The Lovell boys placed 11th in the field of 14, shooting 387 on Friday and improving to 381 Saturday for a final score of 768, three strokes behind Lyman and well ahead of Glenrock, Newcastle and host Rawlins. Wheatland won the state title with a score of 611.

Senior Matthew Allen was the top golfer for the Bulldogs, tying for 18th place in the field of 69 golfers. Allen was consistent, shooting 86 Friday and
87 Saturday for a final total
of 173, tied with Bolen Barthelmess of Worland.

Fellow senior James Blau shot a 102 Friday, then improved to 90 Saturday for a final score of 192, good for 38th place, tied with LHS sophomore Kaeson Anderson who shot 94-98 for the same 192 score.

Junior Jacob Thomas shot 105-106 to place 55th at 211.

The Lovell girls didn’t qualify for a team score, with just two golfers, but sophomore Kenley Wilson made a splash with a 13th-place finish, scoring 101 Friday and 108 Saturday for a 209 total. Not far behind was junior Madalyn McCollam, who swung the clubs for a 107 Friday and 117 Saturday to reach a final score of 224, placing 21st.

Coach Dane Robertson was pleased with how his team came together this season.

“This was a fun season of golf for me,” Robertson said. “After having the previous four years with mostly the same people filling the varsity spots, it was exciting to see our golfers find their niche on the team and see success as a result.

“Every player got better this season. They might disagree as their results from tournament to tournament jumped around, but if each player played their preseason selves, they would come out on top every time.”

Despite some difficult conditions, the Bulldog golfers performed well at State, Robertson said.

“State was a fun (and very hard) couple of days,” he said. “The course was long and made treacherous by the gusty conditions, but I saw lots of smiles (amongst the anguish of soul at times) as the athletes went around the course for 36 holes.

“Matthew strung together a couple of really good days in particular. He was the most consistent player throughout the season, and that’s a testament to the sheer number of hours he has put in. The golf season isn’t long enough to truly see large increases in your game. What Matthew did was put hundreds of hours in during the summer months.

“That’s how you get better. You’ve got to be consistent in your effort. Otherwise, this game will chew you up and spit you out without regard for body or soul.”

Wilson, too, showed improvement for the Lady Bulldogs, Robertson said.

“Kenley was just outside of the top 10,” he noted. “She’s made huge strides from her freshman year, and like Matthew, that’s entirely due to her time spent practicing. The spring season always looks a little bit different with new faces from the fall, so I look forward to working with the crew when April rolls around.”