Highland made the cut at the UHSAA 4A boys golf state tournament, sitting seventh with a team total of 320 after Day 1 at Palisade State Park on Wednesday, Oct. 14, according to a report published October 15.
Junior Reece Griffin led the Rams with a 76, placing him inside the top 20 individually. Griffin's round put him seven strokes behind individual leader Luke Christensen of Desert Hills, who shot a 3-under 69.
Highland's team total left the Rams 26 strokes behind first-place Ridgeline but nine strokes inside the top-10 cutline. Defending champion Ridgeline holds a lead at 294, featuring three golfers in the top six. Crimson Cliffs is in second at 300, followed by Dixie in third at 303, and East in fourth at 305.
East sophomore Ben Wright shot a 70 on Wednesday to sit second individually, one stroke behind Christensen. The Deseret News reported that six teams missed the cut, including Region 10 rival Park City, which dropped from seventh to 13th after its top golfer was disqualified for an incorrect scorecard. That disqualification cost Park City 17 strokes and allowed Orem to claim the final qualifying position at 329, one stroke ahead of Judge Memorial.
Day 2 was scheduled to tee off Thursday, Oct. 15, at Palisade State Park, where Highland aimed to move up from seventh in the final team standings. Highland had previously entered the tournament as the third-place team in Region 10 during the regular season, according to a Deseret News region recap from Sept. 21.
