Lady Eagles Battle Harsh Conditions at GWAC Tournament
October 6, 2025
The Colby Lady Eagle golf team wrapped up their regular season Monday, October 6, with a tenacious performance at the Greater Western Activities Conference (GWAC) Tournament, held at Buffalo Dunes Golf Course in Garden City. Playing through cold, wet conditions and a course full of deep, unforgiving bunkers, the Lady Eagles placed third overall with a team score of 411.
Goodland captured the conference title with a 384, followed by Cimarron in second at 407. Colby edged out Ulysses (481) and Holcomb (510) for third in the five-team field.
Head Coach Rick Williams said the weather and course setup made for one of the toughest rounds of the season. “It was cold and wet. They have dozens of hard bunkers and some of those got us today,” Williams said.
Leading the way for Colby was senior Braelyn Stupka, who shot a 94 despite a disastrous 12 on hole number 11, where she found herself trapped in a bunker nearly eight feet deep. “Braelyn played well overall,” Williams said. “That one hole cost her a much better score, but she kept her composure and finished strong.”
Just one stroke behind was Cora DeGood, who recorded a career milestone by breaking 100 for the first time with a 95. Her round marked a significant step forward in consistency and confidence for the junior golfer.
Lakyn Sims followed with a solid 107, while Alayna Hrnicek shot 115 and Stella Kauffman posted a 119. Freshman Landrie McKee rounded out the lineup with a 138.
“The course is brutally tough and was made even tougher by the conditions,” Williams added. “I’m proud of how the girls kept battling. We’ve come a long way this season, and days like this show their progress.”
The challenging Buffalo Dunes layout — stretching nearly 4,800 yards and featuring heavily contoured greens — lived up to its reputation as one of the most difficult courses in Kansas. Holes like the 468-yard par-5 10th and the bunker-heavy par-4 11th gave golfers across the field fits, with the tournament’s overall scoring average finishing at 117.3.
With the regular season complete, the Lady Eagles now turn their focus toward postseason play. The GWAC meet served as valuable preparation for regional competition, giving Colby’s golfers a final test of patience, mental strength, and adaptability under pressure.
Next up, the Lady Eagles will head to Goodland’s Sugar Hills Golf Course on October 13 for sub-state competition. The team last played the course about a month ago, when Lakyn Sims led the way with a 103, followed by Braelyn Stupka at 106, Alayna Hrnicek at 108, Cora DeGood at 115, Stella Kauffman at 119, and Landrie McKee at 126. Since that outing, each golfer has made noticeable strides in consistency and confidence, setting the stage for stronger performances and potentially lower scores when they return to Sugar Hills.