Niwot girls golf gets a head start on spring sports

It's been nearly two years since the Niwot girls golf team played its last round, but head coach Ed Weaver isn't mourning the lost 2020 season. With two proven veterans and some promising new prospects in 2021, he's focused on picking up right where the Cougars left off-with a Class 4A state title in their sights.

"What I'm trying to do is just business as usual," he said about how his team weathered the long layoff. "Not looking backwards and just looking to today and forward and trying to keep focused on the task at hand."

The task at hand is winning the 2021 Class 4A Region 3 title and qualifying as a team for the state tournament, and Weaver believes he has the players to do just that. Back with the team are senior Halie Ostrom and junior Sydney Rothstein, who both played on the 2019 squad that finished second at state. In fact, Ostrom brings two years of state tournament experience to the team, and Weaver is expecting her to shrug off the inconsistency she's battled, and help lead the team to her third. Weaver is also "bullish" on Rothstein, a third-year varsity player who showed marked improvement between her freshman and sophomore season.

Joining the two veterans are newcomers Avery Reester, a senior at St. Vrain Global Academy, sophomore Kate Jones, and freshman Mina O'Dell, who will all compete for the remaining varsity spots. Also new to the team are freshmen Ashlyn Crall and Ava Abarelli, who will round out the junior varsity. Weaver will be assisted this season by Chad Richart, now in his third year with the program.

Unlike the other high school sports, girls golf isn't subject to many COVID-19 restrictions, since it is played outdoors, and it is easy for players to remain socially distant. The 2021 season will proceed largely as normal, aside from the late start and end dates.

But Weaver is in favor of erring on the side of caution, and is pressing league officials to adopt rules that limit contact between players from different schools, such as having teams play as a foursome, instead of mixing players of the same ability.

"I'm in no hurry to rush through this thing," Weaver said. " Just because the governor and everybody says it's okay, doesn't mean it is, because the sanction is too severe. It's a 10-week season, and if we lost 20 percent to quarantine, it's not even close to being worth it."

The Cougars are scheduled to open their season on April 22 at the Longs Peak League meet #1 at the Eaton Country Club, but the late cold snap has made that questionable. If things warm up towards the end of the week, Niwot is scheduled to play in the Chilly Chili Invitational at Eagle Trace in Broomfield on April 24.