Brayden Casolari added another “first” to his lengthy list of golf accomplishments last week, becoming the first Harlan County High School golfer to be named to an all-state team.
Casolari was named to the KHSAA all-state second team, while also garnering his third consecutive selection to the all-Region 10 team.
The talented Black Bears junior put the finishing touches on another stellar high school season with a 38th-place tie at the KHSAA Boys State Golf Championship earlier this week in Bowling Green, and still has three events remaining on his 2024 schedule.
“It was an honor to be named second-team all-state,” Casolari said. “I played pretty well the entire high school season with some good wins, and I wish I could have been a little better in Bowling Green, but to finish the season ranked inside the top 20 players and named to one of the all-state teams is a big accomplishment.
“I’m proud to represent Harlan County High School at that level, and I’d like to thank everyone involved for the opportunity to be a Black Bear.”
Among those singled out by Casolari for their support were HCHS athletic director Eugene Farmer, along with coaches Brenden Rutherford and Brett Widner. He also expressed gratitude for support shown by several staff members at HCHS.
“I have gotten a lot of school and community support from so many people and that is so cool,” Casolari added.”
During the 2024 high school season, Casolari played in four conference matches, winning three times, and led the Black Bears to their third straight conference championship, as a team.
Casolari also posted a sixth-place finish in the Class 2A championships at Owensboro, and finished his third prep season with an 18-hole scoring average of 71.15.
In advance of a prep season that saw Casolari win Player of the Year honors in the Pine Mountain Golf Conference for a third straight season, he played a full schedule of events.
Preceding the high school season, Casolari played in 11 state-level, invitational events throughout Kentucky, with three victories and seven top five finishes. He placed inside the top 10 in all but one event.
