Heading into the second and final day of the girls 4A state golf tournament at Talons Cove Golf Club, Crimson Cliffs and Green Canyon appeared ready to battle it out for the team title.
The Cedar Reds apparently didn’t get the memo.
Overcoming a 13-stroke deficit, Cedar played what coach Laycee Johnson called “elite level golf” on Thursday in wet, blustery conditions and won the first girls golf state championship in school history.
Cedar came in at 106-over 682, while Green Canyon placed second at 110-over 686; Crimson Cliffs, which led after the first day, took third at 111-over 687.
Cedar, of course, is one of the oldest high schools in the state; Crimson Cliffs, from the St. George area, and Green Canyon, near Logan, are two of the newest.
Crimson Cliffs, one of Cedar’s Region 9 rivals, didn’t go home empty handed, however, after having a six-shot lead when Thursday began.
Crimson Cliffs sophomore Kate Walker repeated as 4A medalist, firing a closing-round 77 Thursday after Wednesday’s sparkling 65 had given her a commanding lead in the individual championship.
“It took so much hard work and time and dedication to accomplish my goal,” Walker said. “Every year, that is my goal — to win state, because I know that I can.”
Conditions were considerably more difficult Thursday, with wind, rain and even hail battering the golfers at the course in Saratoga Springs on the west shores of Utah Lake.
“The first day my goal was to go low, and I did,” said Walker, who is also an accomplished swimmer, having placed fourth in the 100 butterfly at the 4A state swim meet.
“The second day, keeping the lead was my goal, and I did that. It didn’t go as planned, but it was good.”
(Photo: Fairways Media Garrit Johnson)
Last year, Walker won the solo title with a 9-over 151 at Logan River Golf Course in another dominating performance, so the goal now, she said, is to collect two more gold medals before she moves on to college golf.
“I definitely think it is possible,” she said.
That 7-under 65 is going to draw the attention of more college coaches, who can begin contacting her on June 15, per NCAA rules. She said she wants to commit relatively early and just focus on improving her already stellar game.
“BYU would be awesome,” she said.
Walker calls herself “self-motivated” and “driven” and noted that St. George-area pros Reed McArthur and Doug Roberts have helped her a lot with her game, along with her father, Jason Walker, whom she claims she can “beat pretty easily.”
Orem’s Kaylee Westfall placed second at 9-over 153, while Pine View’s Alyssa Butterfus was third at +11.
Pine View dropped to seventh in the team race after having won the last three 4A state team titles.
For Cedar, which won its first region championship last week, it was the culmination of a lot of hard work that began years ago, its coach said.
“These girls set high goals this year and they did everything I asked them to do,” said Johnson. “Our team motto was ‘be elite,’ and that was to be positive, believe and be confident in every swing, and that is exactly what those girls did today.”
Cedar’s top finisher was Taylyn Wilson, who came in fifth at 18-over 162. RaeLee Johnson, the coach’s daughter, tied for seventh, while Breelle Evans was 12th, Denym John was 29th and Rachel Blodgett was 52nd.
“They are the best of friends. They cheered everybody on. If you wanted a dream team to coach, that was those girls,” Johnson said. “They are amazing. They are great in school, academically. They are the nicest girls you will ever meet.”
And now they are state champions.
Story by Deseret News sportswriter, Jay Drew. Republished with permission.