Erie, Ashton eye state repeat
Tigers dominant in regional; Holy Family qualifies as team for 4A state
As effortless as she often makes the game of golf look on the course, Erie sophomore Hadley Ashton can as maturely and confidently chat about the colossal expectations she has put on herself.
“I want to show myself that I can be the best high school (golfer) Colorado has ever seen,” she said after her second straight regional championship Tuesday afternoon. “I’m trying to win state four times in a row, which hasn’t been done.”
Ashton knows she is a ways away from that feat. The closest before her was former Holy Family golfer Hailey Schalk, who won three times before her run at No. 4 was nixed by the pandemic in 2020. But the sophomore’s golf game has been so good thus far in the high school ranks —— featured through her title win as a freshman, into her undefeated run through every CHSAA tournament she’s been in this spring —— the narrative from both the outside and inside has already long been set.
“The neat thing is she’s still a kid and relates to peers well and she interacts with them well, and yet she has this maturity on the golf course that’s way beyond her years,” Erie coach Brandon Bird said. “She’s the most consistent player I’ve ever been around.”
At The Fox Hill Club, Ashton won Class 4A Region 3 by eight strokes over teammate Logan Hale in second place, carding 2-under-par 70.
The defending state champ Tigers as a team won by 27 strokes over runner-up and fellow team state qualifier Holy Family. All four of their players finished inside the top 10, including Hollyn Drennen tied for fifth (86) and Taylor Hale tied for 10th (92).
Erie will now go for repeat gold