Boys Golf Peak Performer of the Year: Cheyenne Mountain's Thomas Herholtz helps Red-Tailed Hawks win state
Jan. 3—Thomas Herholtz accepted a role larger than simply serving as the No. 1 golfer for state champion Cheyenne Mountain.
The senior also made a cameo as an assistant coach.
Herholtz, a four-year player who entered the season having already played in a pair of state tournaments, traveled alongside head coach John Carricato to an early-season tournament in Denver, where Cheyenne Mountain's other golfers vied for the remaining spots on the varsity squad.
"I wanted to see the rest of the team play together and see how they could do as a team," Herholtz said. "I thought it would be a really cool experience to give them tips and be able to coach the team. You can't really do that when you're just watching, but you can do that if you're considered a coach."
Carricato applauded Herholtz's initiative.
"He will speak his mind, he will tell you what he thinks," said Carricato, a coach with more than 20 years of experience. "He's not going to pull punches. He's well respected among his teammates."
From there, Herholtz became even closer with his teammates. And the team thrived. Cheyenne Mountain posted a 445 team score in two days at Pelican Lakes in Windsor, besting Riverdale Ridge by four strokes en route to the program's second 4A state title since 2020.
Herholtz soared individually as well. He finished tied for ninth at state, shooting 149 (71-78).
Herholtz averaged under 1.217 strokes under par in 13 tournaments during his senior year. He shot a career-best 68 to open the year at the Montrose Red Hawks & Grant Junction Tigers Invitational.
After that head-turning performance to open the season, Herholtz knew it would be a special season.
"You kind of know when your game's in a good place," Herholtz said. "I just kind of knew that my game was going to be in a good point, especially in that first half of the season, and fortunately I was able to keep it going for the whole season."
Herholtz's senior year was hands down the best one of his career. From freshman year to senior year, Herholtz's average scores steadily went lower and lower.
That was the product of what he calls "the infinite grind" and improving his mental game.
"I had a 10-stroke drop between my freshman year and my sophomore year, and I don't attribute that all to my swing," Herholtz said. "I attribute that a lot to the way that I approached the game and the way I was able to handle myself on the course.
"I felt like a lot of my game was always there and I always had some of the shots but I couldn't execute it. I finally started to figure that out sophomore year and I've kept going with that."
As Herholtz leaves the high school ranks, he is preparing for the next step of his athletic journey: college golf. Herholtz has collected several offers to play at the next level, and he's currently weighing those before making a commitment.
Regardless of where Herholtz ends up, Carricato is confident he is ready to play in college.
"His game is so fundamentally sound, and I think that separates the ones who go from high school to college," Carricato said. "I have no doubt in my mind that he'll make that transition. Just a really solid kid, he has a great golf IQ and has great fundamentals."
Between playing and coaching in pressure situations, Herholtz has become both a student and a teacher of the game.
"State has the most pressure that I've felt in a golf tournament," Herholtz said. "The fact that I've been able to play in that three times — one of those times being at my home course — it's going to help me prepare for those big tournaments. All you have to do is go out and play."
