WEST JORDAN — South Sevier's girls golf team set out to do something it had never done before in record-breaking temperatures Tuesday afternoon.
Saige Anderson finished 5 shots off the lead at 15-over-par 87 and tied for fifth to lead the Rams to its first state title in program history at the 2A state tournament at Mountain View.
The Rams held off second-place Grand County by four strokes at 361. Beaver, the three-time reigning 2A champions, finished 16 shots back in third as Rowland Hall and American Heritage also finished in the top five.
"We have six girls whose goal was just to play better than we have been," South Sevier coach Dorianne Christensen said. "They all shot their best game of the season; I'm really proud of them."
Grand County's Sofia Munger held off Beaver's Brittni Crum by three strokes for medalist honors, with Beaver's Sunnie Moon and American Heritage's Anna Eggertsen also tying for second at 13-over 85.
Plenty expected South Sevier to break its title drought a year ago, after the Rams won the Region 18 tournament. But Crum shot a career-low 81 to win medalist honors and help the Beavers to the 3-peat finish in cold, rainy conditions.
Tuesday was a complete turnaround — including in weather. Under clear skies and with temperatures as high as 93 degrees that broke a 66-year-old record in Salt Lake City, Anderson carded birdies a pair of back-nine birdies to help the Rams to the title that will be remembered from Monroe to Cove View Golf Course in Richfield — where the Rams share practice time with four other teams in the spring.
"We have to fight for teams a bit," Christensen admitted. "But we have a really good program at Cove View that builds kids, that teaches them really young, and it's made coaching easier.
"It doesn't matter who is playing; we have coaches who can jump in and help each other."
3A girls golf: Medalist Benson has Morgan back on top
Kenadee Benson held off Richfield's Hailey Hair on the first hole of a 37th-hole playoff to help Morgan to its second title in four years May 7 at the 3A state tournament at Stansbury Park.
After the 36-hole tournament, both Benson and Hair finished with a two-day total of 9-over-par 153. Benson rallied after shooting 79 in the opening round with a -over 74 — the best number of the final round — to set up the playoff.
The senior birdied the par-4 ninth hole in the playoff, giving Benson medalist honors for the first time in her high school career.
Morgan teammates Sophie DeMond and Taya Snow each finished tied for third at 13-over 157, and Ruby Wilding added a seventh-place finish at 19-over 163.
In addition to Hair, Sadie Roberts (20-over 164) and Adrie Seely (24-over 168) each carded a top-10 individual performance for the runner-up Wildcats.
4A girls golf: Crimson Cliff's Walker cruises as Park City holds off Juan Diego
Crimson Cliffs' Kate Walker was far enough in front of the rest of the field at the 4A state tournament that the race for second became an even tighter race.
Same with the team title.
Park City edged Juan Diego on a four-player playoff hole after both teams tied at 89-over-par 565 May 7 to clinch the Miners' first-ever team title since the UHSAA sanctioned girls golf in 2008.
Walker, the reigning Utah women's state amateur runner-up, who has signed with Utah Tech, carded back-to-back rounds of 4-under 68 to win her third individual title in four years by nine strokes over runner-up Kaylee Westfall of Orem.
Crimson Cliffs teammate Brynlee Welch finished two shots back of Westfall in third, while Eleanor Henderson led the team champion Miners with a two-day total of 13-over 157.
Ava Werner was the top finisher from Juan Diego, shooting a two-day total of 18-over 162 to lead the Soaring Eagle.
