Niwot golfers brave rain and cold at the Chilly Chili Invitational

As anyone who has ever had to attend an outdoor sporting event in Colorado in March can tell you, bad weather is the rule, not the exception. (And yes, you will need that coat, even if it seems perfectly nice right now. You might want to grab your gloves, too.) So when Niwot girls golf Head Coach Ed Weaver woke up to rain on the morning of his team’s season-opening tournament, he wasn’t terribly shocked.

But just because it’s common, doesn’t mean it’s comfortable, and it certainly doesn’t make 18 holes of golf any easier. So Weaver was pleasantly surprised when the two Niwot golfers in the event, freshman Julia Solem and junior Mya Ostrom, finished tied for 36th out of a field of 93.

“I was very proud of the way the girls played,” Weaver said, his voice hoarse after spending the day in the cold. “They did well in tough conditions.”

Weaver was especially impressed by Solem, who shot a 99 (+27) in her competitive debut.

“Julia and Maya are probably going to be my number one and number two,” he said.

Held on Mar. 11 at Eagle Trace golf course in Broomfield, the Chilly Chili attracted 21 teams, including Northern League foes Northridge and Mountain View. Weaver said that he’d hoped to have more golfers in last weekend’s tournament, but ultimately didn’t have much choice in the matter. A few of his veterans had prior commitments, and his inexperienced golfers are still in their skill-building phase.

That didn’t keep two of the non-players away from the course, however. In a show of team solidarity, senior Avery-Grace Blanco, who is recovering from surgery, and junior Tori Sexton, who is new to golf, both spent time with Solem and Ostrom at Eagle Trace on Saturday.

“I invited them out, and they came out and rode around in the cart with me,” said Weaver. “On a day when the weather was really bad, that was so cool.”

Next up for the team is the Skyline Invitational on Wednesday, Mar. 15 at Saddleback Golf Club. Weaver plans to have senior Sarah Scharff as his third golfer in Firestone, but says nothing is firm as of now. As for the remainder of the season, Weaver said that his new players are making good progress, but every little bit helps.

“We had a pretty successful fundraiser,” he explained. “We’re going to use the funds to get outside instruction for some of these girls.”

The fundraiser is still ongoing, but ends soon. For more information, contact Ed Weaver at [email protected].