Caden Christopherson and Brooke Beyer Post Wins at The Thunderbird High School Senior Classic

Each year The Thunderbirds and the JGAA host a special one-round tournament at Gainey Ranch Golf Club to honor Arizona’s senior class of high school golfers who played during the 2018-2019 season.

Perry High School’s Caden Christopherson, bound for Texas Christian University, finished in first place in the Boys division with a 4-under-par 68. Two players Joey Geary of Sunnyslope High and Jake Carlson Sandra of Day O’Connor finished tied for second place, one stroke behind Christopherson, at 3-under-par 69. Geary will move on to Western New Mexico University and Carlson will compete close to home at Grand Canyon University.

In the Girls Division, Brooke Beyer of Desert Ridge High School and Belle Balkan of Red Mountain High School finished tied for first place at 6-over-par 78. Beyer went on to win on the first playoff hole. Beyer will move on to University of Illinois Chicago and Balkan is on her way to California Baptist University. Reyna Hernandez of Gilbert High School finished in third place at 7-over-par 79. She will join Carlson at Grand Canyon University in the fall.

“This event is just a fun way to say farewell and best of luck to our members who, in many cases, have been playing in JGAA events with us since they were in grade school,” said Scott McNevin, Executive Director of the JGAA. “It’s more of a casual atmosphere that allows the players to have a little fun as their high school golf careers end and their college careers begin.”

In total, 51 JGAA members earned college golf scholarships for next season.

Allison Acosta – Chadron State College

Nate Anderson – University of Washington

Chaz Aurilia – UCLA

Belle Balkan – California Baptist University

Brooke Beyer – University of Illinois Chicago

Ethan Bishop – Colorado Mesa University

Madison Blake – William Penn University

Reid Borg – Ottawa University

Breann Brennan – Utah Valley University 

Riley Brown – Glendale Community College

Izzy Cantwell – Lipscomb University

Jake Carlson – Grand Canyon University

Caden Christopherson – Texas Christian University

Emily Cons – University of Arizona

Davis Cottrell – South Mountain CC

Jonathan Curran – St Mary’s College

Alejandro de Zavala – Weber State

Mason Domecq – Ottawa University

Caleigh Essert – Arizona Christian University

Nicole Ewing – Rutgers University

Alyza Flores – Northern Arizona University

Joey Geary – Western New Mexico University

Jacob Goode – University of San Francisco

Jordan Grasis – West Texas A&M

Taylor Harvey – Prairie View A&M

Lorel Hayward – Northern Arizona University

Tony Hendricks – UCLA

Reyna Hernandez – GCU

Will Koepke – Seattle University

Kohl Kuebler – Grand Canyon University

Annika Lagos – Lincoln Memorial University

Kalie Llewellyn – Ottawa University

Paige Lucero – University of Nebraska – Kearney

James Mackie – California Baptist University

Ryan Macpherson – South Mountain Community College

Alex Manalang – Lawrence Tech

Zach McDermid – North Greenville University

Payne Moses – Oklahoma Baptist University 

Mason Quagliata – Stetson University

Alexandra Quihuis – New Mexico State University 

Caden Rice – Mesa Community College

Gabriel Salvanera – South Mountain CC

Cam Sandland – GCU

Hayden Sayre – University of Arizona

Meghan Singh – University of Idaho

Hannah Spiller – Redlands Community College

Simon Trebon – Sacred Heart University

Ty Sullivan – UNLV

Ben Yehle – Mesa Community College

Brooke Veres – University of Memphis

Eve Worden – United States Naval Academy

FULL RESULTS

For more information about the Thunderbird High School Senior Classic, visit www.JGAA.org or call 602-944-6168.

About the JGAA
The Junior Golf Association of Arizona is a 501(c)(3) organization with the mission to educate, motivate and inspire Arizona’s youth through golf and all of the valuable lessons and life skills inherent to the game. In addition to hosting competitive events, the JGAA develops programs for local schools, assists golf courses with their junior programs, conducts college prep seminars and etiquette clinics.   The Junior Ambassador and Guest Speaker Programs give JGAA students the opportunity to learn, develop and adopt successful habits and practices – both on and off the golf course – from a collection of prominent, civic-minded community and business leaders. The JGAA also awards two scholarship funds annually to high school senior members of the JGAA for their college education – the Tres Arnold and the John Wolfinger Memorial College Scholarships. The JGAA’s strong belief in teamwork and cooperation has guided the organization for more than 30 years and is instilled in all of its members. For more information JGAA, visit www.jgaa.org or call 602-944-6168.

About The Thunderbirds

The Thunderbirds were founded in 1937 with the mission of promoting the Valley of the Sun through sports. Consisting of 55 “active” members and more than 250 “life” members, The Thunderbirds host the Waste Management Phoenix Open; the best-attended golf tournament in the world, which to date has raised nearly $100 million for Valley charities, including The First Tee of Phoenix. With its unmatched fan participation and rich history dating back more than 80 years, The Waste Management Phoenix Open has gained legendary status for being a unique stop on the PGA TOUR. For more information on The Thunderbirds or the Waste Management Phoenix Open, call 602.870.0163 or visit www.WMPhoenixOpen.com.