Laramie Is Hosting The 4A Wyoming State Golf Championships [VIDEO]

Twelve teams and a total of 109 golfers have descended upon Laramie for the 2014 4A Wyoming State Golf Championships.

There will be 36 holes of stroke play today and tomorrow at Red Jacoby Golf Course. They began with tee times at 9 a.m. with the ladies off the first tee and the gentlemen off the tenth tee. The girls will hit from the red tees, while the boys will hit from the brown tees.

Laramie golf coach Kurk Aegerter said the advantage of being the home course is,

"We'll have some input (on how they set it up), which we want; but it's gonna be fair; but it's gonna be more difficult... It's going to be long; pin placements will be strategically placed, but again, fair."

Riverton is the defending 4A boys champs, as they beat Cheyenne East by one stroke a year ago in Rock Springs. The Wolverines are led by sophomore Easton Paxton, who is the defending individual state champion. He won by 9 shots last year.

Laramie senior John Murdock IV is considered a challenger to Paxton.

Aegerter says for Murdock to have a shot he needs to, "Play the home course like he can... He's so comfortable here. I think that plays to his advantage."

For the Plainsmen as a team, Aegerter says they'll have to play extremely well.

"If we can put back-to-back days (together), we're going to be challenging Riverton (for the team title)."

Natrona County is the two-time defending champion for the girls. The Fillies beat cross-town rival Kelly Walsh on the first hole of a playoff in 2013.

The defending 4A girls champion is Kalle Lunsford of Evanston, who won by six strokes last year.

Aegerter said, "Natrona, they're too good. They're incredible. We haven't seen a girls team like this in Wyoming (pauses)... I don't think we ever have; I think this is the best we have ever seen."

Riverton and Natrona County are considered favorites again this year.

Competing for Laramie at the 4A State Championships will be John Murdock IV, Ryan Bellflower, Grant Wrhel, Eli Bryant and Joseph Legerski. Representing the Lady Plainsmen will be Jacquie Perdue, Amanda Warren, Ali Stark and Sienna Trujillo.

Day one for the boys has Laramie playing with Riverton, Sheridan and Kelly Walsh. Green River, Natrona County, Cheyenne East and Evanston are grouped together. The final team pairings has Gillette, Cheyenne South, Rock Springs and Cheyenne Central golfers playing with each other.

The team pairings for the ladies are Laramie with Natrona County, Evanston and Sheridan. Then, it's Kelly Walsh, Green River, Cheyenne South and Riverton together. Finally, Rock Springs, Gillette, Cheyenne East and Cheyenne Central are grouped with one another.

Action is underway and will finish with the final 18 holes with tee times starting at 9 a.m. Saturday.

The Laramie boys were casual, yet focused in preparation earlier this week: