Girls State High School Golf

Repeat 5A title by Loveland’s Katelyn Lehigh keeps it all in the family; Erie’s Hadley Ashton joins elite club of freshman champs; St. Mary’s Academy’s Maddy Bante prevails in 3A

By Gary Baines – 6/1/2022

It was a day of milestones and memories at the Colorado girls state high school golf tournaments.

Wednesday saw one golfer win her second straight individual state title, becoming just the 10th girl to capture two or more championships in the event. And with Loveland senior Katelyn Lehigh joining the club with her victory in Class 5A, two of those 10 are from the same family as older sister Lauren captured state titles in 2017 and ’19. For the record, a Lehigh has earned a state high school championship four of the last five years the tournaments have been held.

Meanwhile, Hadley Ashton of Erie prevailed in Class 3A at Tiara Rado Golf Course in Grand Junction. That makes her just the third freshman since 2002 to claim a girls state high school title in Colorado, joining Holy Family’s Hailey Schalk (2017) and Eaglecrest’s Emma Bryant (2018).

Rounding out the individual champions on Wednesday was St. Mary’s Academy sophomore Maddy Bante in Class 3A at the Broadlands in Broomfield.

Here’s the rundown for each classification’s 36-hole tournament:

— 5A at the Olde Course at Loveland: The state tournament played out similarly to last year’s as Lehigh rallied on the final day and she and senior Lily Nelson from Prairie View finished 1-2. This time, however, Lehigh was competing in her hometown and she prevailed by one stroke over Nelson.

Lehigh played her final six holes in 3 under par — making birdies on 13, 14 and 15 — to shoot a 3-under-par 69 on Wednesday. That gave her an even-par 144 total. Meanwhile, Nelson closed with a 71 on a day that featured an eagle but also an opening double bogey. First-round leader Elle Higgins of Valor Christian placed third at 150 after a second-round 78.

Valor held off defending champion Loveland to claim the 5A team title by eight strokes, with Cherry Creek a distant third. It’s Valor’s first girls state golf team championship. 

— 4A at Tiara Rado GC in Grand Junction: Ashton, who won the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado’s Tour Championship last year as a 14-year-old, prevailed by four strokes in her state high school debut. She also led Erie to a state team title — the school’s first in girls golf.

Still 14, Ashton closed with a 2-over-par 73 on Wednesday at Tiara Rado, leaving her with a 5-over 147 total. On day 2, she carded four birdies, two bogeys and two double bogeys.

Senior Sofia Choi of Mullen finished runner-up at state for the third time. This time, she posted a final-round 72 to check in at 151, making back-to-back birdies to close out her high school career. Timbre Shehee of Mead and Kylee Hughes of Eagle Valley tied for third place at 154.

Erie, which also put Logan Hale (seventh) in the top 10, claimed the team championship by 14 over Mullen, with Discovery Canyon placing third.

— 3A at the Broadlands GC in Broomfield: Bante, the 3A state runner-up as a freshman last year for St. Mary’s Academy, moved up a spot to earn the title as a sophomore. With a 1-under-par 71 on Wednesday at the Broadlands, she finished four ahead of runner-up Noelle Thompson of Peak to Peak. Sydney Taylor of Liberty Common was third.

Bante made six birdies and five bogeys on Wednesday, playing her final six holes in 3 under par to close the door.

Bante helped St. Mary’s Academy run away with the 3A team title as it prevailed by a whopping 43 strokes. Prospect Ride was second and Kent Denver third. It was the second straight blowout victory by St. Mary’s Academy in 3A.

Here are the top individual and team finishers in each classification:

CLASS 5A

At Par-72 Olde Course at Loveland

Individual

Katelyn Lehigh, Loveland 75-69—144

Lily Nelson, Prairie View 74-71–145

Elle Higgins, Valor Christian 72-78–150

Abby Aeschleman, Mountain Vista 80-72–152

Caitlyn Chin, Cherry Creek 81-74–155

Brenna Higgins, Valor Christian 79-78–157

Olivia Steen, Fossil Ridge 80-78–158

Ashleigh Wilson, Rock Canyon 83-77–160

Amira Badruddin, Rock Canyon 85-76–161

Bella Eide, Valor Christian 82-80–162

Team

Valor Christian 233-236—469

Loveland 246-231—477

Cherry Creek 250-249—499

Rock Canyon 262-238—500

Mountain Vista 258-257—515

CLASS 4A

At Par-71 Tiara Rado GC in Grand Junction

Individual

Hadley Ashton, Erie 74-73–147

Sofia Choi, Mullen 79-72–151

Timbre Shehee, Mead 78-76–154

Kylee Hughes, Eagle Valley 77-77–154

Alex Remaklus, Riverdale Ridge 83-72–155

Emily Chang, Discovery Canyon 79-76–155

Ava Schroeder, Cheyenne Mountain 79-77–156

Logan Hale, Erie 76-80–156

Kaitlin Zingler, Mullen 81-76—157

Macy Kleve, Windsor 75-83—158

Team

Erie 237-243–480

Mullen 255-239–494

Discovery Canyon 255-242—497

Windsor 248-252—500

Niwot 280-253—533

CLASS 3A

At Par-72 Broadlands GC in Broomfield

Individual

Maddy Bante, St. Mary’s Academy 73-71–144

Noelle Thompson, Peak to Peak 75-73–148

Sydney Taylor, Liberty Common 78-76–154

Hope Torres, Prospect Ridge 81-74–155

Nicole Davari, Kent Denver 81-82–163

Elise Nelson, Kent Denver 82-83–165

Mallory Hopper, St. Mary’s Academy 82-83–165

Abbi Beld, Resurrection Christian 89-79–168

Logan Nobrega, Vail Mountain 83-86–169

Kyndra Johnson, Salida 88-82–170

Team 

St. Mary’s Academy 247-233–480

Prospect Ridge 270-253–523

Kent Denver 266-274—540

Peak to Peak 281-266—547

Colorado Academy 267-285—552

About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. He was voted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2021. Email: ColoradoGolfJournal@mac.com)