Hunter Swanson repeats as Boys Player of the Year, while Kaylee Chen earns Girls POY honor; both are members of Hale Irwin Player Program
By Gary Baines – 10/26/2021
Talk about going right down to the wire: The Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado Tour points races for 2021 were basically a photo finish for both the top boys and the girls.
In other words, the competition for JGAC’s Players of the Year was ever so close.
Hunter Swanson of Denver (boys) and Kaylee Chen of Parker (girls) ended up earning the honors, but the final Tour points standings indicate how close things were. Swanson edged Matthew Wilkinson of Centennial in points, 1,320.8 to 1,300.64 on the boys side after also finishing 1-2 last year, while Chen topped Sofia Chen of Littleton, 1200 to 1,192.5.
The points standings aren’t the sole determinant of POY honors, but they are a major one, with a committee voting on the awards. The Alliance has named the Players of the Year since its debut in 2016; prior to that, the CGA and the CWGA honored the boys and girls, respectively.
When all was said and done, Swanson was named the JGAC Boys Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Only three other boys in the 21st century have earned the honor twice: Dillon Stewart (2018 and ’19), Tyler Parsloe (2005 and ’06) and Tom Glissmeyer (2003 and ’04). Meanwhile, Chen became the fifth different Girls POY in the last five years.
Both Swanson and Chen are part of the CGA’s Hale Irwin Player Program at CommonGround Golf Course.
Below are some of the 2021 season highlights for Swanson and Chen, both in JGAC events and elsewhere. While this story focuses on the JGAC award winners for 2021, HERE’S ANOTHER ARTICLE that notes some of the overall highlights of the junior golf season in Colorado.
— Hunter Swanson of Denver, JGAC Boys Player of the Year: 2021 has proven to be a memorable year for Swanson in several respects, including the fact that he’s won the POY honor for the second straight season. He verbally committed to play his college golf at the University of Colorado, a decision he’s expected to make official next month. He finished runner-up in a playoff at The First Tee National Championship and fifth in the pro-junior portion of the PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach, a PGA Tour Champions event that features selected First Tee participants. (Swanson is a member of The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch.) In addition, Swanson posted two second-place finishes in JGAC majors and another in the AJGA tournament in Montrose. He also recorded two victories in JGAC Tour events. Out of state, Swanson placed 51st out of 207 competitors in his age/gender division of the prestigious IMG Academy Junior World Championship and competed in the U.S. Junior Amateur and the Junior America’s Cup. This fall, he was named a Future Famer by the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame.
— Kaylee Chen of Parker, JGAC Girls Player of the Year: After placing second on the JGAC Tour girls points list each of the past two years, Chen came out on top in 2021. She posted two top-five finishes in AJGA events held in Colorado, placing fourth at the AJGA Junior Open at The Bridges in Montrose and fifth at the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior in Westminster. At the Girls Junior Americas Cup competition, Chen finished eighth individually out of a field of 62 to lead the Colorado contingent with a 3-under-par 210 total for three rounds. Chen was a quarterfinalist in the CGA Women’s Match Play and teamed with fellow junior Morgan Miller in placing second in U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Qualifying. In five JGAC events in 2021, the 2019 Colorado Junior Amateur champ finished in the top five in each start, including ending up third in the JGAC Tour Championship.
Here are some of the other 2021 JGAC honors and awards that were recently finalized:
MOST IMPROVED PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Girls — Makaela Swanson of Denver: Swanson, sister of JGAC Boys Player of the Year Hunter Swanson, saw her JGAC scoring average improve from 93.3 in 2020 to 82.4 in 2021. She jumped from 24th in the 11-13 Series points list in 2020 to sixth in the 14-18 Series in 2021.
Boys — Keagan Bond of Commerce City: Bond’s scoring average improved from 91.1 in 2020 to 80.9 in 2021. After finishing 56th in the 14-18 Series points standings last year, Bond was 14th in 2021.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE (based on community service, character, overcoming hardship and showing spirit of the game of golf; nominations come from parents and players)
JJ Heupel of Littleton: Heupel is a very community-minded individual who started a club at his school named “Bagging for the homeless”, and there are now 50 active participants in the club. Heupel also volunteers at soup kitchens, delivers clothes on winter nights, and hands out clothes donated by TSA at DIA.
GRACE BURKE AWARD (goes to female high school seniors who exhibit character, leadership, personal integrity, and enthusiasm for the game of golf, in addition to being an Academic All-Star)
Timbre Shehee of Mead
Paige Carlson of Parker
Katelyn Lehigh of Loveland
JGAC POINTS CHASE CHAMPIONS
10 & Under Boys — Jeffrey Chen
10 & Under Girls — Claire Atzbach
11-13 Boys — Clint Summers III
11-13 Girls — Addison Hines
14-18 Boys — Gavin Amella
14-18 Girls — Kyndra Johnson
JGAC Tour Boys — Hunter Swanson
JGAC Tour Girls — Kaylee Chen
JGAC ALL-STAR TEAM
Boys 10 & Under
Jeffrey Chen
Grady Ortiz
Max Music
Tyler Nikkel
Judd Nikkel
Girls 10 & Under
Claire Atzbach
Chloe Johnson
Emma Nguyen
Madelyn Dickerson
Scout Fitzgerald
Boys 11-13
Clint Summers III
Brayden Destefano
Andre Dumonteil
Billy Ver Straate
Campbell McFadden
Girls 11-13
Addison Hines
Sophia Capua
Maddie Makino
Zoe Bar-Or
Brynn Balliet
Boys 14-18
Gavin Amella
Austin Barry
Landon Houska
Garrett Exelbert
Talen Turnbaugh
Girls 14-18
Kyndra Johnson
Hope Torres
Noelle Thompson
Sydney McCord
Lenna Persson
Boys JGAC Tour
Hunter Swanson
Matthew Wilkinson
Luke Cushman
Jeffrey Nelson II
Gage Messingham
Girls JGAC Tour
Kaylee Chen
Sofia Choi
Hadley Ashton
Emma Bryant
Jessica Mason
JGAC ACADEMIC ALL-STARS
Madeline Ahlstrand, Highlands Ranch
Gavin Amella, Castle Rock
Giada Amundson, Montrose
Trinity Anderson, Colorado Springs
Nolan Andrews, Englewood
Evan Ashbeck, Littleton
Chloe Avant, Denver
Jack Bakken, Lone Tree
Will Balliet, Thornton
Brynn Balliet, Thornton
Bennett Bante, Cherry Hills Village
Madeline Bante, Cherry Hills Village
Jocelyn Barrus, Parker
Fiona Beardsly, Denver
Connor Beardsly, Denver
Lukas Beisner, Aurora
Connor Bell, Montrose
Sarah Bentley, Colorado Springs
Eden Biancarelli, Denver
William Bikulcius, Lone Tree
Colten Blake, Evergreen
Jake Bochow, Golden
Madeline Bond, Commerce City
Keagan Bond, Commerce City
Jonathan Boyer, Eagle
Kaden Brooks, Louisville
Jaden Brown, Castle Rock
Kyle Bubier, Highlands Ranch
Emery Busacker, Denver
Joshua Busacker, Denver
Qwenton Caldwell, Littleton
Paige Carlson, Parker
Carmen Carpinelli, Littleton
Karin Cesario, Colorado Springs
Ashley Chang, Lone Tree
Braeden Chapla, Arvada
Jeffrey Chen, Aurora
Anthony Chen, Aurora
Emily Cheng, Colorado Springs
Caitlyn Chin, Greenwood Village
Benjamin Chin, Greenwood Village
Alyssa Chin, Greenwood Village
Alex Choi, Thornton
Erin Choi, Thornton
Sofia Choi, Littleton
Brendan Church, Arvada
Mason Conrad, Castle Pines
Austin Cortez, Thornton
Kaylee Craig, Superior
Jake Crawford, Avon
Graham Cummings, Denver
Peter de Wetter, Snowmass Village
Nicholas DeBell, Westminster
Olivia Debney-Carr, Colorado Springs
Kaden Devenport, Windsor
Cole Dewey, Centennial
Madelyn Dickerson, Aurora
Michael Dinapoli, Steamboat Springs
Jake Dost, Parker
Connor Downey, Edwards
Wyatt Dragon, Aurora
Raven DuKan, Broomfield
Brynn Dzengelewski, Highlands Ranch
Julia Edone, Denver
Adam Eicher, Arvada
Wesley Erling, Colorado Springs
Benjamin Estabrook, Highlands ranch
Nolan Farrar, Larkspur
Charlie Flaxbeard, Greenwood Village
James Flaxbeard, Greenwood Village
Bryant Ford, Colorado Springs
Christian Foxworth, Loveland
Matthew Gaffney, Morrison
Karina Garcia, Windsor
Jacob Gilbert, Watkins
Devin Gilbreath, Aurora
TJ Giordano, Denver
Alex Good, Eagle
Cole Good, Eagle
Oliver Gottesfeld, Denver
George Grady, Louisville
Christopher Gunlikson II, Longmont
Logan Hale, Erie
Kalai Hamlin, Monument
Alexandra Hanna, Steamboat Springs
Ben Harding, Longmont
Wyatt Harlow, Fort Collins
Maryn Harlow, Fort Collins
Chloe Hartojo, Broomfield
Booth Hayes, Frederick
Sebastian Hein, Centennial
JJ Heupel, Littleton
Ava Hickey, Boulder
Aidan Highsmith, Littleton
Mason Hill, Broomfield
Carter Hinkle, Windsor
Kara Holm, Missouri City, Texas
Mallory Hopper, Centennial
Landon Houska, Fort Collins
Connor Houtsma, Denver
Sally Kate Houtsma, Denver
Austin Hunt, Highlands Ranch
Sawyer Hyten, Broomfield
Nicholas Jacobs, Conifer
Jack Jacobsen, Englewood
Tucker “Tiki” Jaffe, Vail
Lauren Jaworowski, Colorado Springs
Sofia Johancen-Walt, Aurora
Kyndra Johnson, Salida
Issac Johnson, Parker
Chloe Johnson, Parker
Nathan Jones, Monument
Kai Jorde, Castle Rock
Joey Jung, Parker
Alena Kasanicky, Longmont
Peter Kelley, Lone Tree
Nathan Kim, Castle Pines
Easton Kitsmiller, Centennial
Caden Koole, Broomfield
Gabrielle Krebs, Windsor
Luke Kusserow, Highlands Ranch
Richard Lane, Pueblo
Max Lange, Golden
Ethan Leach, Highlands Ranch
Jacob Legg, Montrose
Katelyn Lehigh, Loveland
Chandler Levy, Boulder
Gregory Lewis, Monument
Kaylin Leydon, Commerce City
Kyle Leydon, Commerce City
Zach Lipfield, Lone Tree
Sofia Liss, Castle Rock
Micah Livingstone, Timnath
Tyler Long, Evergreen
Anthony Lore, Aurora
Alex Lund, Colorado Springs
Josh Lurie, Longmont
Lincoln Mackay, Littleton
Brody Mackey, Evergreen
Christopher Marsh II, Gypsum
Jackson Martorello, Denver
Sam McArthur, Timnath
Jordan McCaslin, Arvada
Hagen McCuistion, Fowler
Campbell McFadden, Denver
Duncan McIntosh, Evergreen
Jack McLean, Aurora
Peyton McLeese, Broomfield
Matthew McNitt, Highlands Ranch
Joel Melun, Greenwood Village
Aden Mendell, Denver
Gage Messingham, Arvada
Grace Messner, Colorado Springs
Katrina Messner, Colorado Springs
Anna Mettler, Colorado Springs
Emmarie Miles, Greeley
Ella Miller, Centennial
Alex Morrall, Palisade
Carter Navulur, Frederick
Lily Nelson, Commerce City
Elise Nelson, Highlands Ranch
Sydney O’Connor, Erie
Mina O’Dell, Longmont
Brooke O’Sullivan, Aspen
Rhys Owens, Denver
Brentyn Paiz, Windsor
Nicholas Pallas, Arvada
Kale Parthen, Colorado Springs
Hunter Peffer, Aurora
Tyler Plaster, Longmont
Jackson Porter, Highlands Ranch
Gage Poulsen, Timnath
Coby Puzio, Brighton
Bryce Raduziner, Colorado Springs
Graham Riggs, Windsor
Charlie Riggs, Windsor
Will Rinehart, Aurora
Kayla Robinson, Littleton
Evie Rogers, Centennial
Alex Rogers, Fort Collins
Lauren Rossano, Golden
Lawson Rumley, Eagle
Luke Rumley, Eagle
Cade Rummell, Littleton
Riya Sajjan, Fort Collins
Richa Sajjan, Fort Collins
Hunter Salani, Edwards
Will Sallee, Loveland
Grant Samuelson, Fort Collins
Benjamin Sander, Parker
Andrew Sarkisian, Evergreen
Spencer Schlagel, Parker
CheyAnne Schrick, Timnath
Jack Schubert, Highlands Ranch
Andy Schwartz, Highlands Ranch
Ella Scott, Castle Rock
Travis Seitz, Steamboat Springs
Timbre Shehee, Mead
Emily Shin, Lone Tree
Hunter Simmons, Grand Junction
William Simpfendorfer, Colorado Springs
Dalton Sisneros, Aurora
Jackson Smith, Centennial
George Smith, Denver
Rupashi Sood, Parker
Sky Sosna, Aspen
Amber Staver, Highlands Ranch
Ava Staver, Highlands Ranch
Leyni Stavola, Thornton
Mariana Stavola, Thornton
Molly Stratton, Centennial
Hudson Stutzman, Denver
Blake Sullivan, Castle Rock
Tyler Sunahara, Highlands Ranch
Carter Surofchek, Colorado Springs
Makaela Swanson, Denver
Hunter Swanson, Denver
Aiden Sweeney, Commerce City
Jack Tarman, Westminster
Natalie Tatar, Denver
Sydney Taylor, Fort Collins
Samantha Thomas, Englewood
Elianna Thompson, Castle Rock
Oscar Thompson, Centennial
Noelle Thompson, Erie
Roland Thornton, Aurora
Mollie Todd, Golden
Collen Todd, Golden
Hope Torres, Broomfield
Aidan Tracey, Aspen
Jonathan Trigg, Englewood
Charlie Tucker, Castle Pines
Bo Turnage, Denver
Ethan Turner, Firestone
Jordan Ulitzky, Aurora
Nathan Valentine, Colorado Springs
Preston Villegas, Fort Collins
Reed Wearner, Centennial
Cole Wearner, Centennial
Braden Wedel, Bethune
Asa Wentworth, Boulder
Carson Wiesner, Highlands Ranch
Taylor Wilson, Highlands Ranch
Ashleigh Wilson, Highlands Ranch
Jack Winter, Broomfield
Jadie Wison, Parker
William “Hayden” Woelk, Colorado Springs
Luke Wolf, Fort Collins
Max Zadvorny, Centennial
Kaitlin Zingler, Lakewood
RECOGNITION
Charlie Flaxbeard: Colorado Junior Amateur boys champion
Emma Bryant: Colorado Junior Amateur girls champion
Matthew Wilkinson: Colorado Junior PGA boys champion
Jessica Mason: Colorado Junior PGA girls champion
Ben Harding: Colorado Junior Match Play boys champion
Morgan Miller: Colorado Junior Match Play girls champion
Matthew Wilkinson: JGAC Tour Championship boys champion
Hadley Ashton: JGAC Tour Championship girls champion
Claire Atzbach: 10 & Under Series girls champion
Jeffrey Chen: 10 & Under Series boys champion
Jonathon Smith: 11-13 Series boys champion
Addison Hines: 11-13 Series girls champion
Austin Barry: 14-18 Series boys champion
Makaela Swanson: 14-18 Series girls champion
PGA Junior League
Jason Witczak: 17&U Junior League coach
Bryar Moss: Junior League member – 17&U champion
Jake Dost: Junior League member – 17&U champion
Benn Sander: Junior League member – 17&U champion
Andy Blake: Junior League member – 17&U champion
John Dailey: Junior League member – 17&U champion
Will Valkner: Junior League member – 17&U champion
Timothy Radomicki: 13&U Junior League coach
Miles Kuhl: Junior League member – 13&U champion
Ashton Edwards: Junior League member – 13&U champion
Acadia Curtis: Junior League member – 13&U champion
Pierce Johnson: Junior League member – 13&U champion
Charlie Budacz-Kauflin: Junior League member – 13&U champion
Ryder Besse: Junior League member – 13&U champion
Brynn Balliet: Junior League member – 13&U champion
Aden Mendell: Junior League member – 13&U champion
State High School Champions
Boys
Connor Downey — 3A
Brentyn Paiz — 4A
Will Kates — 5A
Girls
Aubri Braecklein — 3A
Jessica Mason — 4A
Katelyn Lehigh — 5A