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Here are the top girls golfers from Pueblo-area high schools to watch in 2023

chris abdelmalek, the pueblo chieftain
·4 min read
Pueblo County’s Samantha Hansen hits her third shot from the 13th fairway during the Centennial girls golf tournament at Walking Stick Golf Course on Wednesday, April 6, 2022.
Pueblo County’s Samantha Hansen hits her third shot from the 13th fairway during the Centennial girls golf tournament at Walking Stick Golf Course on Wednesday, April 6, 2022.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include a golfer from Swallows Charter Academy. SCA's athletic director did not respond to the Chieftain's request for information but information was later provided by SCA's coach.

The spring golf season is about to tee off and Pueblo’s top girls golfers are ready to swing into action.

Several local golfers who advanced to regional tournaments or state championships last season will return this year, and there are also some new young golfers looking to make a name for themselves on the course in 2023.

Here are the top Pueblo girls golfers to watch for this spring season.

Pueblo County

Samantha Hansen, senior 

Hansen is a two-time state qualifier and an extremely hard worker. This season, she'll seek to cement her status as one of the best golfers in Pueblo.

Alexis Roblek, senior  

Roblek qualified for the state tournament for the first time last year and had the second-best finish of any golfer in the Pueblo area. She continues to work hard and wants to finish her senior year with another run in the state tournament.

Pueblo Central

Sofia Contreras, sophomore 

Contreras won the South-Central League individual title last year as a freshman. She will seek to repeat as champion of the S-CL and qualify for the Class 4A state championships for the second straight year.

Molly Charles, senior 

Charles is a senior who is in her third year playing golf. She has shown lots of improvement since last year and is on track to contend for a title in her final season golfing for Central.

Pueblo Centennial

Ellie Lind, senior 

Lind is considered the top golfer on her team and has been for the past three years. She missed qualifying for state by just two shots last year, hit some career lows, and notched one top-three finish, which was her best finish of the season.

Daniella Segura, senior  

A top-four golfer on her team for the past two years, Segura just missed qualifying for state in 2022 and has improved every season since she was a freshman.

Emily Garcia, senior  

Last year was the first time getting into the regional tournament for Garcia. She's improved over the summer and should again be a contender to qualify for regionals this year.

Pueblo West

Clayre Wagner, freshman  

Following in the footsteps of her older brother Noah, who will be attending the University of Wyoming to play golf, Wagner is one of four freshmen on the team who could make some noise for the Cyclones not only this season, but in the years to come, according to coach Tracy Emond.

Gabi Benfatti, freshman 

Benfatti is another freshman who could be a standout for the program. She and Wagner both finished first or second in two in preseason scrimmages for the Cyclones, which could signal big things to come for the talented freshmen.

Kylie Sergejev, junior

Sergejev is one of the state qualifiers and top returners for a Cyclones team that took home the S-CL team title last year. Look for her to make another run at state and help develop the younger players on the team.

Rye High School

Emma Garcia, sophomore 

Garcia is the Thunderbolts' only returning state qualifier and she placed in the top 20 in Class 2A in the state last year. She has participated in tournaments throughout Colorado in the offseason to improve her golfing skills and should have a strong chance at another appearance this year in the state tournament.

Kelsy Stribling, sophomore  

A very talented golfer according to her coach Anna Jordan, Stribling missed out on the state tournament by just one stroke last year. She has worked on her golf game over the summer and has shown her progress in early practices this season.

Pueblo South

  • Rya Nardini, freshman 

  • Delaney Doverspike, sophomore 

  • Kennedy Mestas, sophomore 

  • Lynn Musso, sophomore 

  • Kaytlin McAuliffe, sophomore 

The Colts have an entirely new roster on their team with no returning players from last year. They're all "great kids" who are working hard to do their best, according to coach DJ Johnson. With not much experience to go on for these newcomers heading into the season, the Colts may have a bit of a learning curve to overcome this season.

Swallows Charter Academy

Swallows Charter Academy golfer Jodi Griffin competes in the CHSAA state golf championships in 2022.
Swallows Charter Academy golfer Jodi Griffin competes in the CHSAA state golf championships in 2022.

Jodi Griffin, sophomore

Griffin qualified for state as a freshman last year in the 3A Santa Fe League and played well in her first appearance. Her coach Lance Peters has high hopes for Griffin this year and said she "will undoubtedly go back" to state as a sophomore.

Peters worked with Griffin over the summer and based on what he's seen, said he expects her to break 90 this year and compete with the best players from around the state.

Pueblo East

The Chieftain reached out the East High School girls golf coach for information about the top players to watch for the Eagles this year, but did not receive a response prior to Wednesday's deadline.

Christopher Abdelmalek is a sports reporter for the Pueblo Chieftain and can be reached at cabdelmalek@gannett.com or on Twitter: @chowebacca

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo's top girls golfers to watch in 2023