Season Preview: 2024 Skyhawks Golf

DURANGO, Colo. – With a set of new goals, expectations, and leadership, Fort Lewis’ men's and women's golf teams are looking to take their programs to new heights in the spring championship season.

Looking Back

The Fort Lewis men’s golf team had an impressive fall season, but the squad is still seeking its first tournament win. The men's team had three top-five finishes in the fall, claiming third place at the Farmers Insurance Sam Proal Invitational at Walking Stick Golf Course for their strongest performance of the early year. Recent transfer Jordan Jennings made a strong statement in the fall season opener, tying for sixth place as an individual at The Writz at Mile High at Bear Creek Golf Course. Jennings made one more top-10 appearance this season as he finished 9th in the Centennial Cup hosted by Regis University. Henry Poston, a senior product from Los Alamos, N.M., led the Skyhawks at the Ruidoso Junior Golf Association South Central Shootout placing fifth overall with a five-under tournament score of 211. Poston kept the momentum going, taking two more top 20 finishes, 8th at the Farmers Insurance Sam Proal Invitational, and 14th at The Writz at Mile High. Nicholas Krantz nabbed a top-10 finish of his own, placing 7th at Walking Stick Golf Course. Carson Kerr, Ronald Kildall III, and Krantz topped off FLC’s fall season with six top-20 finishes combined.  

Last fall, the Skyhawks women’s golf team struggled to top the leaderboard in their four total tournament appearances. With three returning seniors, FLC welcomed two new transfers and three freshmen to the roster. Senior Emma Tornroos led the ladies’ squad with a Top-50 finish in all four tournaments. Tornoos’ strongest performance earned her a tie for 15th place (76, 80) with a 12-over-par finish at the Sam Proal Farmers Insurance Invitational hosted by CSU Pueblo at the Pueblo Country Club. All told, the women secured a tie for ninth out of 13 teams in Pueblo for their best finish of the fall. With Tornroos graduating after the fall semester, Fort Lewis has been hard at work to flip the script come the spring schedule. 

Spring Schedule

The Skyhawks men will make their first appearance for the 2024 spring season at the Las Vegas Desert Classic hosted by Missouri St. Louis at Boulder Creek Golf Club on Mar. 3-5. Fort Lewis will then travel to Wichita Falls, Texas, to compete in the Midwestern State Invitational at Wichita Falls Country Club on Mar. 25-26. Swinging into April, FLC will face off in Goodyear, Ariz., at the Golf Club of Estrella for the Hot Dirt Classic hosted by the Colorado School of Mines on Apr. 5-6, and the RJGA Palm Valley Classic, hosted by Western New Mexico, at the Palm Valley Golf Club on Apr. 8-9. They will return to Colorado for the Southern Colorado Masters at Pueblo Country Club on Apr. 15-16 in preparation for the RMAC Championships. To wrap up the season the Skyhawks will compete for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championship title at Boulder Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nev., on Apr. 21-23.    

The FLC Women’s Golf team will compete in five total tournaments for their 2024 spring season. The ladies will travel to Alameda, Calif., for the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout hosted by Cal State East Bay at Corica Park Golf Course on Feb. 29-27 to open the spring. The Skyhawks will then head downstate to face off in Pebble Beach, Calif., at the DBU Invitational at Poppy Hills Golf Course on Mar. 18-19. Fort Lewis will return to Colorado for the Southern Colorado Open at Walking Stick Golf Course in Pueblo, Colo., on Mar. 24-25. Going into April, the women will join the men’s squad in Goodyear, Ariz., for the RJGA Palm Valley Classic hosted by Western New Mexico, on Apr. 5-6 before the RMAC Championships. The women will have two weeks to prepare before they compete in the RMAC Championship tournament on Apr. 21-23 at Boulder Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nev.  

New Season, New Coaching Staff

Head Men's Golf Coach Sean Griswold

Fort Lewis appointed Sean Griswold as the new men’s new golf coach in November 2023. Griswold, an NCAA Division I student-athlete at Arizona State, has been actively involved with amateur golf at a local, state, and national level for the past 30 years. 

Head Women's Golf Coach & Director of Operations

In November of 2023, Skyhawks Athletics announced Shae Sena as the new Coordinator of Golf Operations and Head Women's Golf Coach. Sena is the current owner and director of the Elevated Golf Academy, located at the Dalton Ranch Golf Club in Durango. An alum of Fort Lewis, Sena graduated with a bachelor's degree in Exercise Science. 

Roster Breakdown by Class - Women's Golf

Freshmen: Isabel Bustillos, Sarah Grenemyer, Annika Gutierrez

Isabel Bustillos (5-2, Roswell, New Mexico)

From Roswell, N.M., Bustillos was a four-year letter winner at Goddard High School, claiming first place at the 2022 RISD Golf Invitational Tournament and placing fifth at the 2022 NMAA State Championship. Bustillos earned a Certificate of Academic Excellence all four years. 

Sarah Grenemyer (5-9, Albuquerque, New Mexico)

From Albuquerque, N.M., Grenemyer lettered in golf and swimming all four years at La Cueva High School and earned New Mexico Academic All-District honors in both swimming and golf. Grenemyer captained both the swimming and golf teams and owns a career-low of 150 (75, 75) at the Santa Fe Country Club. 

Annika Gutierrez (5-0, Peoria, Arizona)

From Peoria, Ariz., Gutierrez played four varsity seasons at Liberty High School and earned the Liberty Buick Outstanding Student of the Month.   

Juniors: Vivianna Holguin, Sabrina Ladd

Vivianna Holguin (5-5, Gold Canyon, Arizona)

From Gold Canyon, Ariz., Holguin played two seasons at Mesa Community College, earning First Team All-Region and All-Conference honors. Holguin posted a career two-day-best of 149 (77, 72) and was a four-year letter winner at Desert Ridge High School. 

Sabrina Ladd (5-1, Coronado California)

From Coronado, Calif., Ladd recently spent one season with Saddleback College and earned All-Conference honors while with the Bobcats. Ladd is also a member of the Dean's Academic List.  

Seniors: Kendal Gutierrez, Molly Schwartz

Kendal Gutierrez (5-3, Peoria, Arizona)

From Peoria, Ariz., Gutierrez appeared in all nine tournaments for the Skyhawks last season, improving her per-round average score to 82.3, shooting below 80 in a single round on three occasions, including a career-low 76 at the Pack Classic. In the spring, Gutierrez placed career-best tie for 16th at the Ruidoso Junior Golf Association Cactus Thaw! on Feb. 13-14 with a 169 (+25) and captured 28th at the RMAC Championships.  

Molly Schwartz (5-5, Box Elder, South Dakota)

From Rapid City, S.D., Schwartz competed in eight of Fort Lewis' nine total tournaments across the year, improving her per-round average to 85.1 as a junior, posting her career-low single-round score of 76 in the second round of the RMAC Championships, tying for 34th. Schwartz placed inside the Top 50 on four occasions and earned a career-best finish for 28th at the Ruidoso Junior Golf Association Cactus Thaw! on Feb. 13-14 with a 185 (+41). 

Roster Breakdown by Class - Men's Golf

Freshmen: Ben Harding

Benjamin Harding (5-11, Longmont, Colorado)

From Longmont Colo., Harding was a four-year letter winner and 13-time tournament winner at Silver Creek High School. Harding is a four-time All-State and Academic All-State honoree, thrice named Team Captain, and posted a single-round lowest score of 67 on four occasions.  

Sophomores: Traejan Andrews, Aidan Call, Jake Chesler, Ian Henderson, Jordan Jennings, Brentyn Paiz

Traejan Andrews (6-1, Greeley, Colorado)

From Greeley, Colo., Andrews owned a 75.21 stroke average across his freshman season and made four top-20 finishes including a season's-best tie-4th at The Writz at Mile High at Bear Creek Golf Course finishing three strokes under par (74, 67, 72 - 213).  

Aidan Call (6-0, Nashville, Tennessee)

From Nashville, Tenn., Call averaged 78.88 strokes per round across eight rounds last season. Call posted a season 's-best tie-12th at the Ruidoso Junior Golf Association Cactus Thaw at Painted Dunes Golf Course in El Paso, Texas, after finishing 11 strokes above par (74, 81 - 155). 

Jake Chesler (5-9, Firestone, Colorado)

From Firestone, Colo., Chesler transferred in from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Before attending UCCS, Chesler was a four-year letterwinner on the Frederick High School golf team. Chesler holds the school record for scoring average and lowest individual round and was twice named Team Captain.  

Ian Henderson (6-1, Louisville, Colorado)

From Louisville, Colo., Henderson joined the Skyhawks at the start of the spring semester in January of 2023. Henderson made one appearance for FLC through the spring 2023 season finishing tie-32nd at the Ruidoso Junior Golf Association Cactus Thaw! shooting 22 strokes above par (79, 87 - 166).  

Jordan Jennings (6-0, Montrose, Colorado)

From Montrose Colo., Jennings originally played one season at Colorado State University before making his move to Durango. Jennings made three tournament appearances for the Rams, posting two rounds of par or better, and averaging a 78.1. Jennings earned a career-best one-under 71 at the Gene Miranda Falcon Individual Tournament hosted by Air Force at Eisenhower Blue Golf Course. 

Brentyn Paiz (5-10, Windsor, Colorado)

From Windsor Colo., Piaz joined the Skyhawks at the start of the spring semester in January of 2023. Piaz made one appearance for FLC through the spring and finished tied for 32nd at the Ruidoso Junior Golf Association Cactus Thaw! at Painted Dunes Golf Course in El Paso, Texas, shooting 22 strokes above par (79, 87 - 166). 

Juniors: Davis Johnson, Carson Kerr, Ronald Kildall III, Jackson Rottschafer

Davis Johnson (6-0, Los Alamos, New Mexico)

From Los Alamos, N.M., Johnson transferred to Fort Lewis at the start of the spring semester in January of 2023. Johnson made one appearance for the Skyhawks and took 36th at the Ruidoso Junior Golf Association Cactus Thaw! after finishing 30 strokes above par (80, 94 - 174). 

Carson Kerr (6-0, Grand Junction, Colorado)

From Grand Junction, Colo., Kerr competed in nine of the Skyhawks’ 12 total tournaments across the 2022-23 season. Kerr averaged 76.96 strokes per round across the year and took a season's-best T-22nd at the Jack Brown Memorial Invitational at the Laredo Country Club in Laredo, Texas, finishing 11 strokes above par (79, 76 - 115).  

Ronald Kildall III (6-0, Everett, Washington)

From Everett, Wash., Kildall III made appearances in nine of the Skyhawks 12 tournaments as a sophomore. Kildall III notched a career-best even par at the RMAC Championships on Apr. 23-25 at Boulder Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas, Nev., shooting single-round scores of 73, 71, and 72 (216). Kildall III ended the season averaging a score of 75.72 per round and earning his first All-RMAC Academic Honor Roll honor. 

Jackson Rottschafer (6-7, Centennial, Colorado)

From Centennial, Colo., Rottschafer originally played two seasons at Northeastern Junior College, winning two Region IX Tournaments in the spring of 2023, before transferring to Fort Lewis. Rottschafer took 15th with a one-under-par (287) finish at the NJCAA National Golf Tournament at Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton, Kan., capturing Second-Team All-American honors: the first in program history for NJC. 

Seniors: Nicholas Krantz, Henry Poston

Nicholas Krantz (5-10, Oak Harbor, Washington)

From Oak Harbor, Wash., Krantz played in 11 of the Skyhawks' 12 total tournaments last season. Krantz posted a 75.23 stroke average and took a season-best tie-17th at the Hot Dirt Desert Shootout finishing three strokes above par (72, 70, 77). In the 2022-23 season, Krantz matched his career single-round low of 68 at The Writz at Mile High and made his third-straight appearance in the RMAC Championships. 

Henry Poston (6-1, Los Alamos, New Mexico)

From Los Alamos, N.M., Poston earned his career-best tie-16th finish at the Ruidoso Junior Golf Association Cactus Thaw! last season with single-round scores of 73 and 84 to finish 13 strokes above par. Poston notched a career-low single-round score of 71 at the Southern Colorado Masters and made his first appearance in the RMAC Championships finishing in 25th (73, 73, 75) to end five strokes above par. 

New Leadership, New Goals

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