Making Presence Felt

We’ve chronicled throughout this school year how two Coloradans are ranked among the top NCAA Division I golfers in the nation. And that continues to be the case, with Wyndham Clark of Highlands Ranch — and the University of Oregon — No. 1 in both the Golfstat and Golfweek men’s individual rankings, and Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster — and Wake Forest — No. 8 among women according to Golfweek and No. 10 according to Golfstat.

But it should also be noted that, with just a couple of months remaining in the season, three other Coloradans are also ranked in the top 50 in the nation in the smaller college divisions.

For instance, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs junior Colin Prater (pictured), winner of the 2016 CGA Amateur, currently stands 16th among the nation’s Division II golfers, according to Golfstat. The Colorado Springs resident has notched five top-7 finishes this season, including one individual victory.

In the women’s DII ranks, Regis University freshman Mary Weinstein, the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado’s female player of the year in 2016, is ranked 36th in the nation by Golfstat. The golfer from Highlands Ranch has racked up seven top-10s individually, including a win.

And among the NCAA Division III women, Rhodes College (Tenn.) senior Mackenzie Cohen, like Weinstein a former 5A state high school champion, is ranked 19th in the nation individually by Golfstat. Cohen, a Denver resident who finished third in the DIII national finals last year as Rhodes claimed the national team title, has tallied two top-five individual showings in multi-team events, including a win, this season.

Joining Clark and Kupcho as Colorado residents who are ranked in the top 100 of NCAA Division I nationally are junior Hannah Wood of Oklahoma (No. 79 by Golfstat) and senior Ethan Freeman of the University of Colorado (No. 92 by Golfstat).