Lady Bulldogs capture golf conference championship and are state runner up

Mark DeLap
Posted 9/23/20

The Wheatland Lady Bulldog golf team earned State of Wyoming runner-up this past weekend at Purple Sage Golf Course in Evanston.

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Lady Bulldogs capture golf conference championship and are state runner up

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EVANSTON – The Wheatland Lady Bulldog golf team earned State of Wyoming runner-up this past weekend at Purple Sage Golf Course in Evanston.
Although a freshman from Lovell medaled in the state competition, three Wheatland girls placed in the top 10 and the entire team finished in the top 20.
Macy Jones was the top golfer for the Bulldogs, shooting a 178 and placing fifth overall. Jaydon Heimsoth placed eighth with a 188 and right behind her was Lily Nichols who shot a 192 for ninth place.
Rounding out the team totals were Kaitlyn Vigil who shot a 201 and tied for 14th place and Bryley Waring who tied for 20th with her total of 205.
“Our goal this year for our girls was to win a conference and state title,” said Wheatland golf coach Tony Nichols. “We achieved our goal of winning conference.  Unfortunately, we fell three shots short of our goal of winning a girls state team title.”

The girls who fought back from an 11-stroke difference Friday pulled even Saturday, but lost in adverse conditions to Lovell by 3 strokes, 558-555 to gain the second-place finish in the state.
“Losing the team title by three shots over the course of two days of golf is hard to swallow, especially when our girls fought back from the 11-stroke deficit after the first round,” Nichols said.  “On the back nine the conditions were cold, rainy and windy, yet our girls did not stop competing.  One minute we were leading and the next we were not. We truly did not know the outcome until the final few groups brought in their scorecards. As we waited for the awards ceremony to begin, our girls and coaches replayed lost opportunities over the course of two days. The biggest takeaway from that moment is there were no excuses made from any one of our players. There were no tears wept or blame placed on any teammate.  This year, our girls left it all on the course.”
Earning all-state honors were freshman Macy Jones, senior Jaydon Heimsoth, and freshman Lily Nichols.   
“Next year, our goal of winning conference and state titles will continue to be our focus,” Nichols said.  “Only next year, we will know what it takes to win a state title.”
The boy’s team was not able to compete as team, but competed hard as individuals.  Senior Michael Bush finished with rounds of 94 and 87 for a two-day total of 181 to finish 27th overall. Bush set a personal record at conference with an 88 and shot one shot better in his final round at state with an 87.  
“Breaking 90 in back-to-back weeks for Michael was quite an accomplishment,” said Nichols.  
Freshman Ethan Jackson finished with a two-day total of 229 and sophomore Caden Davis finished with a two day total of 237.  
Conference Tourney in Rawlins
Both the boys and girls golf team did well at the conference tournament in Rawlins.For the boys, Michael Bush set a personal best with an 88 and placed 12th. Caden Davis shot a 117 and Ethan Jackson shot a 137. All three boys went to the State Tournament.
The Wheatland girls captured the 2020 3A East Conference title shooting a team score of 279, 42 shots ahead of second-place finisher Riverton who won the conference championship in 2019. Five girls placed in the top 10 for the tournament.
“The conference golf tournament in Rawlins last week was a great test for us,” said Bulldog varsity coach Tony Nichols.“It gave us a solid indication of where our golfers stand as a team and individually heading into state.  Just like any other high school sport, the intensity of competition and pressure to perform well increases in the postseason.  We feel our golfers rose to the occasion.  Michael Bush set a personal record by shooting an 88 against some the conference’s best players, barely missing all-conference by one shot.  The Lady Bulldogs have had their mind on winning conference all season and they did just that.  
“We were led by freshman Lily Nichols who shot 89 and senior Jaydon Heimsoth with a 90 to place second and third. Bryley Waring, Macy Jones and Kaitlyn Vigil finished fifth, sixth and seventh respectfully shooting scores of 100, 102 and 105.  We will be taking the same players to state with same goals we've had since the beginning of the year to win conference and state. For the boys their goal is to shoot their personal best at state as they don't have enough players to field a team score. The girls have their mind-set on winning a state championship.  Green River, Lovell, and Star Valley are formidable opponents, but we feel confident in our preparation to achieve our goal.”