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Steamboat Springs — After a rough start at Battlement Mesa Golf Club last week, the members of the Steamboat Springs High School golf team hit the road looking to get back on track.

"It has been a really good week," senior Billy Taylor said. "I had a really shaky start in Battlement, so pulling out these two tournaments was good for my confidence."

It also was good for the team.

Taylor shot a 79 Monday to lead the Sailors to a fifth-place finish at Grand Junction's Bookcliff Country Club. That tournament was won by Basalt (224). Montrose was second, and Grand Junction Central, a 5A school, came in third. Steamboat finished fourth at 241, but was third among teams in the 4A class. Teammates Cam Fritz (80), Michael Weston (82) and Scott Ptach (85) also made steps in the right direction during the second tournament of the season.

Sailors coach Steve Dodson said the boost in the team's confidence was obvious Tuesday in Grand Junction when the team took the course at Tiara Rado, where the Sailors continued to show signs of improvement.

Weston led the team to a fourth-place finish (second among 4A teams) with a round of 74 and Taylor continued to look strong with a round of 78. Fritz and Ptach both finished at 85.

Basalt won the tournament with a score of 221. Fruita Monument was second at 226, and Grand Junction Central was third with a score of 231.

The Sailors recorded their best team finish of the season at 237 - 19 strokes better than the team's opening day performance in Battlement Mesa where the Steamboat finished with a team score of 256.

"I felt like all four of the kids we brought with us played very well," Dodson said of the trip. "Our season is still young, and we still have a long way to go, but we seem to be back on track."

Dodson said he had wanted the team to trim at least 10 strokes from the opening tournament, and was thrilled with the way the Steamboat players responded.

Weston, Cody Fritz, Kaelen Gunderson, Jace Hvambsal and Tyler Ostrom will head out again today, along with coach Scott Berry, for a trip to Montrose, where the team will compete at the Bridges Golf and Country Club. The team also will compete at the Black Canyon Golf Club Thursday.