Kilpatrick and Stapp advance to state golf tournament

On Tuesday, Oct. 1 the Cougar boys golf team competed in the 4A Region 2 Regional Tournament at the Foothills Golf Course in Denver. The Cougars walked away with a fifth-place finish and a team score of 244.

Highlands Ranch High School took first place with a score of 234, with Dakota Ridge High School following in second with 236, and Pueblo West High School finishing in third with 241. Ponderosa High School edged out Niwot for fourth place, finishing just two strokes ahead of the Cougars.

Despite the team's narrow miss of a higher placement, Niwot saw strong individual performances, allowing two of their golfers, seniors Jagger Kilpatrick and Drew Stapp, to qualify for the 4A State Tournament.

Kilpatrick was Niwot's top performer at regionals, finishing tied for second overall with a score of 78. It was his highest finish of the season and marks his first time qualifying for the state tournament. Reflecting on the accomplishment, he said, "It feels really good to qualify my senior year because it is my last chance to play in the state tournament." Kilpatrick is most confident in his short game walking into the tournament.

Meanwhile, Stapp's consistency paid off as he finished tied for fifth with a score of 79, earning him a spot in the Class 4A State Tournament as well. Stapp is no stranger to the state stage, having competed as a sophomore and in last year's tournament as a junior where he faced a tough challenge. Stapp struggled with difficult course conditions, carding a two-day total of 172 after five bogeys and two double bogeys on his first nine holes last year. He will look to improve on that performance and put his experience to use in this year's tournament.

"It means a lot to be able to represent Niwot again for my third time," Stapp said. "I'm just happy to be able to end my career at the state tournament." Stapp enters the state competition with clear goals in mind. "Right now, I'm most confident in my driver," he said. "I like being able to hit fairways–it makes the high school game on shorter courses a lot easier," he noted. "My goal is to finish in the top ten, but I just want to play good golf and I'll be happy."

Juniors Moses Lance (87) and Jackson Sessa (88) also competed on Niwot's postseason team, but fell short of advancing to the state tournament. Their efforts, however, contributed to the team's overall performance and provided a valuable experience ahead of their senior seasons.

With Kilpatrick and Stapp set to represent the Cougars at the 2024 4A Boys State Golf Tournament on Oct. 7 and 8 at the Tiara Rado Golf Course in Grand Junction, Niwot is looking to make a strong showing to cap off the season.