Two golfers from Basalt High School’s merged team have clinched their spots in the state golf tournament following their performances at regionals on Monday. 

Jackson Stewart, a junior at Roaring Fork, and Jase Joslin, a senior at Glenwood Springs, both qualified individually while playing at Devils Thumb in Delta.

Stewart shot an 80, tying him for ninth place. His performance came despite acknowledging the day as a tough one on the course.

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“It was a rough day for me,” Stewart said. “Luckily regionals are really like a pass or fail, and I passed so I am excited to be able to compete here in a couple weeks.”

Joslin, who shot an 82, found himself in a tie for 15th place.

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“I think I still have my best golf ahead of me and I am excited to be able to showcase it at the state tournament,” Joslin said. “I want to prove to myself that I can play better golf than I ever have.”

Slated for Oct. 2-3 at RainDance National Resort and Golf in Windsor, Stewart and Joslin have experience in state-level competitions, with Stewart having qualified as a sophomore and Joslin during his junior year.

Though the Longhorns didn’t qualify as a team, first-year Basalt High School head coach Joey Chandra remained optimistic about Stewart and Joslin’s individual achievements.

“Obviously we are bummed out that we weren’t able to qualify as a team, but these two guys deserve to represent our team at the state tournament,” Chandra said. “We are really proud of these boys and we know they are going to work hard these next couple weeks to prepare for RainDance.”

The two players also expressed a sense of team responsibility, despite qualifying individually.

“It was unfortunate that our team wasn’t able to qualify, but I know Jase and I are going to represent Basalt well at the tournament,” Stewart said.

Joslin has been particularly focused on his mental game in preparation for the state tournament.

“Really, I have just been focusing on my mental game and making sure that I don’t get in my head,” Joslin said. “If one hole goes bad I can’t let it take away from the rest of my round.”

With only a few weeks remaining before the state tournament, the two young golfers are poised to make an impact. Chandra stressed the two student-athletes’ preparation in the coming weeks will be crucial in determining just how far they can go.

“These are two really good golfers,” Chandra said. “If they are able to play their best game come Oct. 2, they have a chance to do some big things.”