Camel Boys Take Home State Golf Title

On Saturday, the Campbell County High School boys golf team walked away from the state tournament in Afton as state champions – a feat the team hadn’t achieved in 41 years. 

Head coach Bryan Young said the team went wire to wire, leading the first day by five strokes and lengthening the lead to nine strokes by the end of the tournament. The Camels completed the two rounds with a total 599 points, outpacing a close second- and third-place competition between Evanston (608) and Cheyenne East (609). 

“They all put in so much time and effort this summer and played well the whole year,” Young said. “It’s been 41 years since the boys won state so to see all of that come to fruition – it was awesome.”

Young said the championship team – made up of sophomore Jaxon Burr, junior Drew Gemar, senior Jackson Evans, junior Jackson Laakso and junior Cade Peterson – put in extra work over the summer, working on techniques on the course and playing in summer tournaments. 

“They put in a lot of time and it showed,” Young said. 

On top of the overall team championship, two Camels also earned All-State finishes this year. Burr tied for second place with an overall score of 141 and Drew Gemar wrapped up his season in a tie for seventh-place with a score of 149. 

The Camels last won the boys golf state title in 1983, when the team scored 634 points. Craig Reed and Carl Bratt led the team, placing No. 1 and No. 2 overall. 

Looking toward next year, Young said the boys will bring back additional experience, with Evans the only athlete set to graduate. 

“I’m just excited that we’ll have a bunch of kids back with tournament experience who know how to play in those pressure situations,” he said. “It all comes down to playing two solid days.”

Here are the boys’ overall scorecards: 

• Jaxon Burr – 141 
• Drew Gemar – 149 
• Jackson Evans – 154
• Jackson Laakso – 155
• Cade Peterson – 157 

Congratulations to these state champion student-athletes and their coaches!