WEST VALLEY CITY — Suffice it to say the bus ride back home to Highland and Alpine for the Lone Peak High girls golf team Tuesday night was a lot better than last year.
“Yeah, definitely, for sure,” said team leader Berlin Long. “We will have the speakers going, and everything else.”
For good reason.
A year after they blew a five-shot lead and lost by a shot to Davis, the Knights ensured there would be no drama of any kind on a windy day at Stonebridge Golf Club, nearly lapping the overmatched field to win the 6A girls state tournament in dominating fashion.
“We blew it last year. Nothing against Davis. They beat us. But it kinda feels like we gave one away. So yeah, this is definitely redemption.” — Lone Peak girls golf coach Derek Farr
“It feels awesome,” said Long, the BYU-bound senior who edged her sister, freshman Aadyn Long, for medalist honors after the siblings entered the final round tied for the lead. Berlin Long shot a 2-over 74 on Tuesday to go with Monday’s 2-under 70 and won by three shots over the ninth grader, who carded a 77 Tuesday in slightly more difficult conditions.
“It was fun,” Berlin Long said. “I said, ‘If anyone is going to beat me, I want it to be her.’ But I really didn’t want to lose to her, especially my senior year, right? … I wasn’t going to let her beat me.”
With the team title pretty much decided Monday when Lone Peak shot 302 and took a 23-shot lead over Herriman into Tuesday’s final round, the only drama remaining was the race for medalist honors.
Berlin Long quickly put some distance between her and her sister, making par on the first four holes and then carding birdies on holes five and six to seize the lead. She made a double-bogey on the par-5 eighth hole and a bogey on the par-5 ninth, but was solid on the back nine with a birdie and two bogeys to win easily.
Berlin Long actually started the tournament poorly, and was 3 over through three holes Monday morning. Talk about a turnaround.
Her favorite moment?
When she dropped her final putt for a par on No. 18, the rest of the Knights ran onto the green to celebrate her title and their title, led by Aadyn Long.
“She came up and hugged me and I am getting emotional now just talking about it,” Berlin Long said. “It was really cool. … It was fun being tied going into today and seeing our names at the top of the leaderboard.”
Herriman’s Millie Terrion, a senior who edged Berlin Long last year by a stroke (even-par 144) for medalist honors at The Ridge Golf Club down the road in West Valley City, was one of the few golfers who improved her score from Monday.
Terrion shot a 74 and finished alone in third. Riverton’s Jane Olson (72-82 — 154) placed fourth and Corner Canyon’s Victoria Romney (79-79) was fifth after taking seventh last year.
“It was really windy,” Berlin Long said. “I think this golf course is always windy. It is always howling out here.”
Which sorta describes the bus ride home — but these were howls of joy.
Lone Peak coach Derek Farr, who also led the LP boys to the 6A title last fall, said this was a team of destiny that immediately went to work after coming up short last year. With a whopping 22-girl team, the Knights knew they had a target on their backs this year, but shrugged it off and delivered the school’s fourth girls state title in golf.
“We blew it last year,” Farr said. “Nothing against Davis. They beat us. But it kinda feels like we gave one away. So yeah, this is definitely redemption.”
Farr said his team shot under 300 five times this season. In high school tournament golf, the lowest four scores, out of five golfers per team, count toward the total.
“Last year was the longest bus ride I have ever been on, except going to Blanding (where San Juan, his former school is located). We made the decision that we were going to get up every morning at 6:30 a.m. at Cedar Hills, and play the back nine and work on our short-game stuff. It paid off. The girls just worked, just worked and worked and worked.”
Tuesday, the Knights also counted senior Eliza Holman’s 82 and freshman Adley Nelson’s 86. Monday, senior Carly Belliston contributed an 83.
Farr said the Knights will be solid again next year with Nelson and Aadyn Long returning, but will never be able to replace Berlin Long, one of the best high school golfers in state history.
“I told Berlin last year, ‘Heavy is the head that wears the crown,’” Farr said. “Yeah, they have a lot of pressure. I don’t know how they do it as well as they do. They have incredible support from their mom and dad, and they put in the work. They just keep their composure. Finishing (one-two) is just a testament to how tough they are.”
Class 6A State Tournament
At Stonebridge Golf Club
Team Scores
1. Lone Peak 302-322 — 624.
2. Herriman 325-358 — 683.
3. Davis 342-345 — 687.
4. Corner Canyon 339-353 — 692.
5. Fremont 350-355 — 705.
6. Riverton 362-362 — 724.
T7. Farmington 359-383 — 742.
T7. Weber 386-356 — 742.
9. Pleasant Grove 392-396 — 788.
10. American Fork 383-406 — 789.
Individual Results
1. Berlin Long, Lone Peak 70-74 — 144.
2. Aadyn Long, Lone Peak 70-77 — 147.
3. Millie Terrion, Herriman 76-74 — 150.
4. Jane Olson, Riverton 72-82 — 154.
5. Victoria Romney, Corner Canyon 79-79 — 158.
6. Lily Shin, American Fork 78-82 — 160.
T7. Madalyn Hadley, Fremont 82-79 — 161.
T7. Eliza Zolman, Lone Peak 79-82 — 161.
9. Cheyene Hansen, Davis 79-83 — 162.
T10. Remi Rawlings, Weber 85-79 — 164.
T10. Alyssa Meadows, Corner Canyon 79-85 — 164.
12. Maycee Dehlin, Herriman 80-85 — 165.
13. Adley Nelson, Lone Peak 80-86 — 166.
14. Maura Hawkes, Farmington 77-90 — 167.
15. CC Banz, West 81-87 — 168.