RIVERTON – The Central Wyoming College (CWC) Rustler and Lady Rustler golf teams have had some ups and downs over the past few years, cycling through multiple coaches and recruits without much success to show for it. This past weekend showed that there is plenty of reason to be excited about with this new class and new head coach, Mike Neuman, who is also the golf pro at the Riverton Country Club.
That might have played a hand in just how well the Rustlers and Lady Rustlers did during their two-day home tournament. At the end of 36 holes the CWC Rustlers team, led by sophomore Hunter Hall, called themselves champions for the first time in school history.
It was not only Hall (below) on top with a final score of five-under (-5), but it was also Coach Neuman who said it was also “this coaches’ first college win” after the exciting home victory. Hall had a great first day, knocking in three birdies and two bogies to go one-under before making the turn and goin three-under with no bogies to finish the first 18.
His 68 (-4) was the best round by any golfer from the team or any other competing colleges like Eastern Wyoming and Otero. Hal’s second day wasn’t as good, but it still ended up being played well enough to win it all. It all started with a double bogey on the first hole, but holes two and three made up for it with two-straight birdies to get back to even on the day.
He really finished the front nine on a heater to grow his lead with birdies on six, seven and nine. Even with another double bogey and a bogey on the back nine, paired with just one birdie on hole eleven, Hall found himself with a seven-stroke lead on second-place’s Wesley Rodrigues (+2) from Otero College.
Slipping into the top five was Hall’s teammate, CWC freshman Hardy Johnson (+5), and right behind him were two teammates who tied at sixth in Caige Toone and Beau Brunson at (+6). All of this, plus the strong scores out of the other two Rustler golfers led to a total score under 300, ending with a +12 combined, meant CWC was able to celebrate their first win in front of their home crowd and friends.
The Lady Rustlers, led by Taylor Butler, were unable to do the same but with only two golfers they did not have enough to qualify anyway. Butler, who finished in fourth behind three Otero golfers, had her better day on the first 18 along with her teammate Skyler Anderson.
When it was all said and done, Coach Neuman couldn’t help but praise his star Rustler who earned a big win on his home course, stating “this puts Hunter clearly atop the Region XI standings” and he’s “clearly the guy to beat.”
Although, Coach Neuman knew it wasn’t just Hall that compiled the Rustlers’ first victory and added “all the boys [had] a good week” and that they made “some hard practice work pay off.”
Neuman also understood the girls’ low numbers but said they “continued to improve and continue … by the end of the season they will be a force.”
Up next, the CWC golf teams travel to Torrington to play at the home of Eastern Wyoming College this Thursday and Friday, September 14 and 15.
BY: Shawn O’Brate