Nestled in the windowsill of the pro shop restaurant, Palmer Ridge junior Maggie Geolat had a grin as long as the par 5 she nearly eagled.

“It was a long putt and it went right up against the hole,” said Geolat of her third shot on the 442-yard par 5 (No. 13). “So I tapped in for birdie — can’t complain about that.”

As of today, the Bears are a golf pencil behind Cheyenne Mountain. They hope they can propel over the Indians next month just like last year’s girls’ and fall’s boys’ teams did after trailing for most of those seasons.

Monday at the Spartan Invitation at Valley Hi golf course, Cheyenne Mountain continued its fast start. Bill Paulson’s bunch, led by freshman Kylee Sullivan who claimed her second tournament in as many tries with a duplicate score of 74, won the tournament with a 249. Nine strokes later, Palmer Ridge and Geolat’s 76 finished second, and then Pine Creek and Chelsea Cabanting’s 78 took third with 265.

“We lost by only nine strokes today to Cheyenne Mountain compared to 18 last week (at the Scorpion Invitation),” said Bears coach Lauren Besler. Her father, Paul Gagnon, led the Palmer Ridge boys to state, beating out Cheyenne Mountain, which was having a dominant season. “It’s going to be a battle with Cheyenne Mountain. Our biggest thing is we need to find consistency.”

A week ago, junior Geolat posted an 85. Her putter was as flimsy as her confidence. But on a sunny Monday morning, the Bears’ No. 2 golfer was constant with her putter en route to two birdies.

“Last week I had some three-putts and four-putts,” she said. “Today I eliminated those and had a lot less putts.”

In contrast, the Bears’ No. 1 golfer Audrey Meyer three-putted five holes, to end with an 85. However, besides her round of clunky putting, assistant coach Gagnon said she is playing well.

There is a drop-off to the third golfer. The Bears lost a Gazette honorable mention player in Katie Boylen, who Besler was expecting to be her third this season but opted to make some money working.

“We have just as capable of golfers now though,” she assured, with juniors Shane Pepple (97) and Hannah Rhodes (104).

But for now, once again, the Bears are strokes behind Cheyenne Mountain early in the season.

Fifteen-year-old Sullivan hit 1 under through the first nine holes and Katherine Kemp, who took ninth at 4A state, finished with an 83. Add that to two others who can shoot in the 90s the goal for the Indians is to do more than just make state, said coach Bill Paulson — “just need to take it one step at a time.”

Pacing the lead group in his cart, Paulson just hopes Palmer Ridge won’t spoil yet another golf season for Cheyenne Mountain.

“After 32 seasons doing this you know anything can happen on any given day,” he said. “We’ll just try to get better every tournament.”

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