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Battle Mountain freshman earns all-state finish at 4A state golf tournament

Makena Thayer shot 80 and 81 to place 13th at Thorncreek Golf Course

Makena Thayer placed 13th out of 84 at the 4A state golf tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday in Thornton, Colorado.
Christopher Hoevel/Courtesy photo

Makena Thayer was mature beyond her years at the 4A state golf tournament, held at Thorncreek Golf Course in Thornton on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“For a freshman, she showed poise in tough-type situations so much so that other coaches were impressed by her demeanor,” said Battle Mountain head coach Christopher Hoevel after Thayer shot 80 and 81 in her respective first and second rounds to place 13th overall.

“Never too emotional in good situations and never too emotional in bad. This is a quality many other golfers were not able to demonstrate, even as seniors.”



“Overall I played pretty consistent golf both days,” Thayer stated. “I hit my driver really well, but my short game could have been better.”

Thayer’s even-keel countenance was reflected in her day one hole-by-hole scores. She opened her first-career state appearance with two bogeys, then closed with five pars on the front nine. The back nine was the same — five pars and four bogeys. Thayer, who said qualifying for state was a big goal from the season start, described the course’s tight fairways and difficult pin placements as being “both challenging and fun to play.”

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“I had some really good holes over the two days but I also made some silly mistakes,” she said. “I missed two small putts that I should have easily made, which was disappointing.”

On the second day, she shot a 42 — which ended up being her worst nine-hole score — on the front but came back with a 39 — her best — to close out as the second-best freshman in the entire 84-person field.

On the 310-yard par-4 12th hole, which Hoevel labeled as “one of the hardest” on the course, Thayer hit a perfect drive and landed her approach on the water-flanked, three-tiered green. The Husky proceeded to drill a 25-foot birdie putt.

“It was absolutely the highlight of the tournament,” Hoevel said.

Part way through her final hole, Thayer’s maturity was tested again as play was paused for more than 30 minutes because of lightning. After the delay, she hit her final two shots for round-closing par. Her finish earned her second-team all-state status.

Erie repeated as team champions, with Tiger junior Logan Hale shooting a 66 in the final round to finish with a two-day score of 137. She was eight shots ahead of her sophomore teammate, the defending state champion Hadley Ashton.

“I didn’t expect to play this well,” Hale, who had an eagle on the 15th hole, told CHSAANow.com. “I was hitting shots that I usually don’t hit.”

For Thayer, the golf season is only just beginning. She plans on spending her summer playing in many of the Colorado PGA Cup Series tournaments and hopes to qualify again for the Optimist International Junior Golf Championship in Miami, Florida.

“I’m always working on improving my game,” she said. “So, I also spend a lot of time practicing at EagleVail Golf Course in the summer and at my dad’s place, Vail Country Club on the simulator throughout the year.”


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