Student Athlete of the Week: Jagger Kilpatrick

While baseball remains his ultimate priority, senior Jagger Kilpatrick is currently working toward other important goals with the Niwot High School boys golf team.

The two-sport athlete would like to qualify for the state golf tournament later this fall, something he has yet to accomplish in his three-year career. Reaching that goal will require consistent practice and continued improvement on the mental side of golf, he believes.

"It definitely would mean a lot because I didn't start playing golf until my freshman year of high school," Kilpatrick said. "To come that far and make the state tournament, I think it'd be a big deal."

Niwot's season began only recently, but Kilpatrick believes he's off to a "decent" start. In Niwot's first tournament, the Holy Family League Event on Aug. 8, Kilpatrick scored a 79 at Eagle Trace Golf Club in Broomfield. His strong performance helped Niwot secure first place in the 14-team tournament.

"It felt really good to show how our team is capable of being one of the better teams in the league and just performing at a high level," the senior said.

Kilpatrick was less pleased with the 86 he shot in his second tournament, though.

Still, golf remains a relatively new endeavor for Kilpatrick. Encouraged by friends, he began playing the sport as a freshman before joining head coach Ed Weaver's NHS boys golf program the following year.

"When I first started playing, it was really fun to me, and I like to compete," Kilpatrick said. "I wanted to play another sport, so golf worked out perfectly."

For Kilpatrick, golf has taught him to keep pushing even when things aren't going to plan. Not every stroke of the club will be perfect, but he recognizes the importance of responding with composure.

"Golf is super challenging mentally because if you have a bad hole, it makes you feel like your round is over," Kilpatrick said. "You have to figure out how to channel that back in and start playing good again."

From a mental standpoint, Kilpatrick believes golf and baseball share much in common.

"I'm a pitcher - and hitting is really mental as well - and if you walk a batter, you feel like you basically sold the game," Kilpatrick said. "I feel like golf is very mental as well. It helps me on the baseball field, too, in trying to channel that back in and just keep competing."

Kilpatrick's mental strength was tested this past spring when he tore his UCL (ulnar collateral ligament), keeping him off the mound for most of his junior baseball season. Although he could still hit, Kilpatrick was tested knowing he could only help the Cougars in a limited capacity.

"It was very challenging tearing my UCL because baseball, I've been playing my whole life," said Kilpatrick, who hit .278 on the season with one home run. "It was hard to sit on the bench and not be able to play."

Kilpatrick, the younger brother of former NHS infielder Jed Kilpatrick, shared that his rehab is going well. He was recently cleared to throw and intends on pitching this fall in preparation for next spring.

With his final year of high school underway, Kilpatrick has his sights set on playing college baseball, ideally at the Division I level.

"It would mean a lot because that's been my goal for my whole life so far," he said.