Former Greeley Central golfer Michael Lee is inducted into the Colorado School of Mines Athletics Hall of Fame

Former Greeley Central High School golf standout Michael Lee will be posthumously inducted into the Colorado School of Mines Athletics Hall of Fame later this year.

Lee will be honored during an auction and dinner on Saturday, October 8th at the Lockridge Arena on the Mines campus in Golden. The other members of the Class of 2022 are former Orediggers volleyball player Jackie Stabell, the 1981-84 men’s swim and dive teams, and the 1983 women’s swim team, according to Mines Athletic Department.

Lee, a 2010 graduate of Greeley Central, died of complications from COVID-19 in December 2020 at the age of 28. In 2014 he graduated from Mines with a degree in Petroleum Engineering.

On the golf course, Lee was a program record-breaking team captain for the Orediggers, a two-time Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference player of the year, and an honorable mention for the Division II All-America selection. He is the only player in program history to make four times in the PING All-Region Selection was added.

Lee won four events during his collegiate career and was part of a Mines team that finished program-best 11th at the 2012 NCAA Division II Championships. Mines qualified with the team for the NCAA Super Regional Championships in all four of Lee’s seasons.

Lee spent part of the 2012-13 season ranked No. 1 in Golfstat’s Division II, reaching the program’s lower round of 16 as a senior. He holds a program record of 17 top 10 finishes in 32 starts, including 11 top 5 finishes, with a career average of 73.4.

Lee was a four-time All-RMAC selection and first-team pick as a junior and senior.

Earlier this year, Mines renamed its on-campus indoor training facility in memory of Lee. The Michael Lee Indoor Golf Center features a batting bay with launch monitor and video review, full size putting and chipping green, team lockers, study and lounge area. The facility is located in the Volksgymnasium.

A nationally known amateur golfer, Lee won the 2011 Colorado Golf Association Matchplay tournament and represented Colorado on the 2009 Junior America’s Cup team.

The Colorado golf community continues to honor Lee’s legacy. The Colorado Golf Association dedicated its 2021 tournament season to Lee, and the CGA Match Play Champion’s medal is now named in his memory.

Last year, Lee’s family and friends established a foundation and golf tournament in his memory.

According to Lee’s mother, Amy Lee, the tournament, the Mike Lee Memorial Tournament, played on his home course at Greeley Country Club, grossed $155,166 in early June featuring 240 golfers in a double-shotgun format.

Proceeds from the tournament benefit the Michael Ray Lee Foundation, a non-profit organization established by Lee’s family after his death “to positively impact lives through charitable giving with a focus on scholarships and junior golf.”

The foundation awarded three $2,500 scholarships this year to Weld County High School athletes who will continue to play sports in college: Devyn Lauer of Platte Valley High School, Aubree Heinsma of Windsor High School and Megan St. Jean of of Eaton High School.

The foundation also donated $5,000 to the Colorado Golf Association for the Colorado Junior America’s Cup team and $8,000 to the Colorado School of Mines for their golf team captain.