PUEBLO – After the first day of the Class 4A girls’ golf state tournament, three-time defending champion Cheyenne Mountain was heading home to regroup.

Air Academy’s Kelsey McKenna was going to head to dinner and avoid thinking about golf, and that’s after finishing the first round just two strokes behind the leader.

Cheyenne Mountain will need a monumental push on Tuesday at the Pueblo Country Club after finishing second, 21 strokes behind front-runner Colorado Academy.

The top three Indians – Regina Dillon, Maxine Choi and Casey Fetters – shot 15-over-87, 16-over and 18-over, respectively.

Colorado Academy combined to shoot a 28-over-244, led by Caroline Jordaan’s 4-over-par 76, good for second place in the individual standings.

“All of us agree that we weren’t playing our best today,” Choi said. “I feel like if we just put in our effort tomorrow I think … we are very capable.”

None of the Indians got off to good starts. Dillon, who won the 4A Colorado Springs regional, was 5-over after three holes and 8-over after the front nine. Choi shot 8-over through five holes and Fetters was 11-over on the back nine.

But with previous state tournament experience, first-year Indians coach John Carricato knows his golfers can make up ground.

“That’s one of the things we’re going to bank on,” Carricato said. “They know they didn’t play well today. I don’t have to say anything to them. They know what they’re capable of shooting. That experience from last year, we’ll build on that.”

McKenna shot 77 and trailed only tournament leader Erin Sargent, of Silver Creek, by two and Jordaan by one. Unlike a number of other golfers, McKenna wasn’t about to head back to the putting green after her round.

“I know a lot of girls come back out and practice, but I would say getting your mind away from it is probably the best thing to do,” said McKenna, who planned on going to dinner and possibly a movie.

After a strong round, McKenna wasn’t going to put too much pressure on herself.

“It felt really good today and I hope to go out there and put up a good score tomorrow,” she said.

Palmer Ridge’s Kellsey Sample was also inside the top 10 after shooting 82. She heads into the final day tied for eighth.

“It’s just mentally, I had to stay in it for 18 holes,” said Sample, who’s enjoying her new clubs – a 17th birthday gift received in mid-April. “… Overall, I feel pretty good, I’m excited for tomorrow. I want to come out and shoot good tomorrow.”

The Indians won’t head to a hotel, like many other players and teams opted to do.

“We’re going to go home,” Carricato said. “We want to sleep in our own beds. They graduated yesterday and they’ve had a pretty whirlwind week. So hopefully they can get some rest, come back tomorrow and play some good golf.”