Confident at Coal Creek

PREP GIRLS GOLF

Legacy freshman Hartojo shines at second Granite Peaks League tournament

Erie’s Kenna Miller hits out of a sand trap at Coal Creek Golf Course in Louisville on Tuesday during a Granite Peaks League tournament. PHTOOS BY MATTHEW JONAS — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Holy Family’s Acadia Curtis talks with her coach, Jay Homes, before the sixth hole at Coal Creek.

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By Jack Carlough

For BoCoPreps.com

LOUISVILLE >> Only a freshman, Legacy’s Chloe Hartojo put her name on the map with a dominant performance in Tuesday’s second Granite Peaks League girls golf tournament.

Hartojo drained four birdies on the back nine and finished even on the par-72 Coal Creek Golf Course in Louisville, taking first place by a comfortable four strokes. After closing her successful day with a birdie on 15, the young golfer was already thinking about ways to keep improving.

“It makes me want to go and hit some more,” Hartojo said. “I’ve been playing well, so why not?”

It didn’t take Legacy head coach Bobby Ortega long to realize his Lightning program had something special in Hartojo.

“She has a great swing and she played a lot in the summer,” Ortega said.

“When she first came at the beginning, you could tell right away with her swing. You knew what she had.”

Behind Hartojo, Holy Family sophomore Acadia Curtis and Monarch junior Pippa Cooper tied for second at 4-over-par 76. Curtis went five-over 36 on the front nine but settled in nicely with four birdies on the back nine.

“I tried to focus on my breathing so I wasn’t overthinking a lot,” Curtis said. “After the second hole — it was rough, I four-putted — I was like, ‘Well, it can’t get worse from here.’”

Cooper’s round was comparatively calm as the Monarch standout scored par on all but four holes. However, similar to Curtis, a triple-bogey on 9 thwarted her chances of challenging Hartojo.

Still recovering from an injury, Cooper was overall proud of how she performed on Monarch’s home course.

“I played pretty well,” Cooper said. “My driver wasn’t very good. My putting was OK, but I was hitting the ball very well, especially my irons. I was connecting with the ball very good.”

In the team standings, Holy Family took first with 319 total strokes. Curtis’ 76 was followed by senior Finley Holmes (79) and juniors Steffi Heitz (81) and Peyton Mraz (83).

“It’s a great team,” Curtis said. “We’re all really close, and we all support each other. You can always count on all the other team players.”

Legacy took second in the team race with 342 strokes, followed by Monarch (355), Erie (365) and Niwot (371).

“They really seem to click together,” Ortega said of his Legacy squad. “We’re not freshmen, seniors, sophomores; we’re all one team. I’m very impressed with how the girls collectively have bonded in just a month’s time.”

Other local golfers who earned a top-10 finish individually included Niwot’s Wendy Cheruiyot (81); Legacy’s Jessica Chhour (85); Broomfield’s Lexie Chenoweth; and Holy Family’s Danikka Nielsen and Fiona Holmes. Chenoweth, Nielsen and Fiona Holmes tied for 10th at 86.