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Rifle High sends two to 4A state golf tournament, softball wraps up season; cross country gears up for regionals

The Rifle High School boys golf team sent two players to the 4A state golf tournament at Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs Monday and Tuesday.

Broc Caldwell and Cannon Wall both competed based on their season results and performance in the regional tournament the prior week.

Caldwall finished the state tournament in 64th place overall, shooting an 18-hole round of 92 on Monday and rebounding with an 85 on Tuesday for a total round of 177.



Wall shot 97-91 – 187 to place 78th out of 83 finishers. The Bears team was coached this season by Tod Smith.

It was the first sport in the coronavirus-altered fall high school sports season to conclude, as state softball tournaments are under way this week and boys and girls cross country runners are competing at regionals for a chance to qualify for the state meet Oct. 17 in Colorado Springs.



Rifle High’s softball team missed a return trip to the 4A state tournament this year, concluding its season at 9-7 overall and 2-2 in the 4A Western Slope League.

The Lady Bears ended with a 12-2 non-conference loss at 5A Fruita-Monument on Oct. 2.

Freshman Emma Speakman recorded a single, a double, a stolen base and scored a run, and on defense turned a double play. Junior Emma Poole had two singles and a run; sophomore Myia Valencia had a single and an RBI; and senior Abigail Bonuales reached on an error and had an RBI to close out her Rifle softball career. Senior Logan Cox also played her final game in a Bears uniform. The team was under the direction this season of six-year head coach Troy Phillips.

XC regionals Friday

Boys and girls cross country running teams from Rifle and Coal Ridge are slated to compete in the 3A Region 1 meet at Durango on Friday, while the Grand Valley Cardinals will take part in the 2A Region 4 meet that same day in Delta.

Leading contenders for Rifle to qualify for the Oct. 17 3A state meet include senior Jonny Hernandez, who enters with a season-best 5K time of 18:46.90. Also coming in with sub-20 times are junior Jace Coller (18:48, by virtue of an eighth place finish at the Oct. 2 Whistle Pig Invite at Craig) and sophomore Saul Ramirez (19:55.10)

For the Rifle girls, senior Karisa Coombs is the top runner for the Bears with a season-best time of 21:40.40.

Top runners for Coal Ridge boys are sophomore Tyler Parker, who enters the regional meet with the 11th fastest time at 18:07.41. Other Titans at sub-20 on the season are sophomore Ezra Williams (18:59.11), junior William Parra (19:25.75), freshman Dallin Karen (19:30.49), junior Ethan Polland (19:34.71) and senior Jack Price (19:38).

For the Titans girls, sophomore Mikayla Cheney comes in with the best shot to qualify for state, with a season-best 18:58.84. Junior Araceli Ayala also has a shot if she can improve her season best of 20:45.70.

Grand Valley’s prospects in the 2A Regionals ride on senior Keaton Jansen, who enters with the 10th fastest time at 18:35.94. Others with a shot at qualifying for state include senior Keenan Strauss (19:19.07), senior Nikolai Stammer (19:19.10), and sophomore Kade Sackett (19:31).

For the Cardinals girls, senior Alex Mendoza comes in with a season-best of 21:19.34.


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