The redshirt sophomore for the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs tied for fifth individually in the men’s NCAA Division II West/South Central Regional in Las Cruces, N.M. More importantly, that left him in a three-way tie for second among individuals not on one of the five teams that qualified for nationals. And with just two players in that category earning individual spots in the upcoming DII nationals at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver, he played off with much at stake on Wednesday.

Alas, a bogey by Prater (pictured) on the first playoff hole cost him a shot at the remaining national berth as Calum Hill of Western New Mexico made par to secure the spot.

In regulation, Prater carded rounds of 72-70-69 for a 2-under-par 211 total, which left him five strokes behind regional champion Sam Johnston of Oklahoma Christian.

All told on Wednesday, 180 golfers — though none from Colorado schools — qualified for the men’s or women’s NCAA Division II Championships that will be held in the Denver area later this month. The men’s finals are set for May 17-21 at Green Valley Ranch, while the women’s nationals will be May 18-21 at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora.

On the men’s side, the top five team finishers and the top two individuals not on those teams from each regional earned spots in the finals in Denver.

Other players from Colorado schools who finished in the top 10 in Las Cruces were Nick Berry of the Colorado School of Mines and Luke Condon of Colorado Christian, who both tied for eighth place at 1-under-par 212. Colorado Christian was the top team finisher from Colorado, placing 10th in the 20-team field.

As for the women, the top three team finishers at each regional, and the top three individuals not on those teams, earned spots in the NCAA DII finals at CommonGround.

Metro State University of Denver junior Allie Johnston, the 2012 CWGA Match Play champion, entered the final round in seventh place at Super Region 4 in Stockton, Calif. But she was forced to withdraw due to an injury on Wednesday, dashing her hopes for a spot in the nationals.

The national tournaments, part of the NCAA Division II Spring Sports Festival in which titles in six sports (M&W golf, M&W tennis, softball and women’s lacrosse) will be at stake, will be hosted by Metro State and the Denver Sports Commission.

The men’s NCAA DII finals at Green Valley Ranch May 17-21 will feature 108 competitors — 20 teams and eight individuals. The format will be three rounds of stroke play, followed by two days of medal-match play. The top eight teams after the first three rounds of stroke play will advance to the match-play portion of the championship.

The women’s Division II finals at CommonGround May 18-21 will include a field of 72 golfers — 12 teams and 12 individuals. They’ll all play 72 holes of stroke play.

Tickets for the DII Spring Sports Festival will be $5 per person per day, or $15 for an all-session pass for the week. Tickets purchased at one site will be valid at all other competition sites.

For more information on the Spring Sports Festival, CLICK HERE.

For all the scores from the NCAA Division II regionals, CLICK HERE.
 

Women’s NCAA Division II Super Region 4

May 2-4, 2016 (final) in Stockton, Calif.
25. Cha Cha Willhoite, Metro State 74-74-78–226
66. Allie Johnston, Metro State 75-70-WD

Men’s NCAA Division II West/South Central Regional
May 2-4, 2016 (final) in Las Cruces, N.M.
10. (out of 20 teams) Colorado Christian 301-291-290–882
8. Luke Condon 73-69-70–212; 38. Matthew Goddard 78-73-70–221; 48. Nathaniel Goddard 74-73-76–223; 80. Sean Kato 76-78-74–228; 100. Andrew Kennedy 80-76-78–234.

12. Colorado-Colorado Springs 293-293-299–885
5. Colin Prater 72-70-69–211; 55. Kyle Southard 72-76-76–224; 63. Zach Tripp 75-75-75–225; 88. Zach Berhost 74-77-79–230; 108. Chris Reina 79-72-WD.

20. Regis 296-308-297–901
55. Jack Savage 77-74-73–224; 70. Matt Robertson 75-80-71–226; 80. Jordan McBrayer 75-76-77–228; 80. Grant Gavin 73-79-76–228; 98. Sam McKay 73-79-81–233.

Also
8. Nick Berry, Colorado School of Mines 73-71-68–212
24. George Markham, Colorado School of Mines 73-71-74–218
96. Jacob Allenback, Colorado State-Pueblo 77-80-75–232
 

And a number of Colorado-based players are still in the running for national berths after Tuesday’s second round of the regionals. What they’re shooting for are spots in either the men’s DII nationals, scheduled for May 17-21 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver, or the women’s DII finals, set for May 18-21 at CommonGround Golf Course.

On the men’s side, the top five team finishers and the top two individuals not on those teams from each regional will earn spots in the finals in Denver.

University of Colorado-Colorado Springs sits in seventh place at the men’s West/South Central Regional, two strokes out of the fifth position in Las Cruces, N.M.

Individually, UCCS’ Colin Prater (even-par 142; seventh place), Colorado Christian’s Luke Condon (also 142, seventh place), and Colorado School of Mines’ Nick Berry and George Markham (both 144, 19th place) are within striking distance of the lead of Dallas Baptist’s Josh Aguilar (139).

As for the women, the top three team finishers at each regional, and the top three individuals not on those teams, will earn spots in the NCAA DII finals at CommonGround.

Metro State junior Allie Johnston, the 2012 CWGA Match Play champion, vaulted up to seventh place on Tuesday in Super Region 4 with a 2-under-par 70 in Stockton, Calif. Her 1-over 145 total leaves the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Women’s Player of the Year five strokes out of the lead. And her teammate, Cha Cha Willhoite, isn’t out of the mix either, at 148 and in 19th place.

Had the tournament ended on Tuesday, Johnston would have earned an individual berth to nationals.

Women’s NCAA Division II Super Region 4
May 2-4, 2016 in Stockton, Calif.
7. Allie Johnston, Metro State 75-70–145
19. Cha Cha Willhoite, Metro State 74-74–148
For all of the Region 4 results, CLICK HERE.

Men’s NCAA Division II West/South Central Regional
May 2-4, 2016 in Las Cruces, N.M.

7. (out of 20 teams) Colorado-Colorado Springs 293-293–586
7. Colin Prater 72-70–142; 42. Kyle Southard 72-76–148; 60. Zach Tripp 75-75–150; 69. Zach Berhost 74-77–151; 69. Chris Reina 79-72–151.
14. Colorado Christian 301-291–592
7. Luke Condon 73-69–142; 36. Nathaniel Goddard 74-73–147; 69. Matthew Goddard 78-73–151; 90. Sean Kato 76-78–154; 97. Andrew Kennedy 80-76–156.
19. Regis 296-308–604
69. Jack Savage 77-74–151; 69. Jordan McBrayer 75-76–151; 79. Sam McKay 73-79–152; 79. Grant Gavin 73-79–152; 95. Matt Robertson 75-80–155.
Also
19. Nick Berry, Colorado School of Mines 73-71–144
19. George Markham, Colorado School of Mines 73-71–144
101. Jacob Allenback, Colorado State-Pueblo 77-80–157
For all of the West/South Central Regional results, CLICK HERE.

The 2015 CGA Stroke Play champion shot a 1-under-par 71 on Monday, giving him a 1-under 143 total, good for a one-stroke lead over Felipe Strobach of South Dakota State. Korte made three birdies and two bogeys on the day.

In the team competition, DU slipped into a tie for seventh place in the nine-team event. At 35-over-par 611, the Pioneers trail leader South Dakota State by 27 shots.

The final round of the Summit League tournament will be held Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the field was set Monday for the women’s NCAA Division III Championships, and top-ranked Rhodes College in Memphis, which features former Colorado 5A girls high school champion Mackenzie Cohen, will head the field. The national tournament is set for May 10-13 in Houston. Rhodes recently won its third consecutive Southern Athletic Association Championship.

Men’s Summit League Championship
May 1-3, 2016 in Newton, Kan.
7. (out of 9 teams) Denver 306-305–611
1. Chris Korte 72-71–143; 13. Jake Kelley 75-75–150; 38. Adam Ruben 81-77–158; 40. Arti Edelman 78-82–160; 45. Michael Boylan 82-84–166.

Men’s NCAA Division II West/South Central Regional
May 2-4, 2016 in Las Cruces, N.M.
7. (out of 20 teams) Colorado-Colorado Springs 293
15. Colin Prater 72; 15. Kyle Southard 72; 37. Zach Berhost 74; 52. Zach Tripp 75; 95. Chris Reina 79.
9. Regis 296
23. Sam McKay 73; 23. Grant Gavin 73; 52. Matt Robertson 75; 52. Jordan McBrayer 75; 74. Jack Savage 77. 
16. Colorado Christian 301
23. Luke Condon 73; 37. Nathaniel Goddard 74; 65. Sean Kato 76; 88. Matthew Goddard 78; 105. Andrew Kennedy 80.
Also
23. Nick Berry, Colorado School of Mines 73
23. George Markham, Colorado School of Mines 73
74. Jacob Allenback, Colorado State-Pueblo 77

Women’s NCAA Division II Super Region 4
May 2-4, 2016 in Stockton, Calif.
14. Cha Cha Willhoite, Metro State 74
23. Allie Johnston, Metro State 75
 

DU was an automatic qualifier by virtue of winning the Summit League title — the Pioneers’ 13th consecutive conference crown — while CU made the 72-team regional field as an at-large selection on Monday.

Also among the Division I regional competitors will be Coloradans Jennifer Kupcho and Hannah Wood, and Colorado State freshman Katrina Prendergast. Kupcho, the CWGA Player of the Year in 2014 and ’15, is a freshman for Wake Forest. Wood, the 2014 CWGA Stroke Play champ, is a sophomore at Oklahoma.

(Updated April 27) When the fields were announced on Golf Channel for the four May 5-7 regionals, Colorado was seeded ninth for the regional in Stanford, Calif., where the top seed will be Pac-12 champion Southern California. Also competing will be host Stanford, the 2015 national champion. Wake Forest is likewise in the field, meaning Kupcho will play there, as will CSU’s Prendergast, a second-team Mountain West Conference selection.

As for Denver, it is seeded 14th for the Baton Rouge, La., regional, where Duke is No. 1.

For her part, Wood will compete in the Bryon, Texas regional as an individual.

The top six team finishers and three individuals not on those teams from each regional will land spots in the NCAA championship finals, set for May 20-25 in Eugene, Ore.

Colorado, ranked 21st in the nation by Golfweek and 34th by Golfstat, recently placed fifth in the ultra-competitive Pac-12 tournament and twice was a runner-up this season. The Buffs have qualified teams for the regionals three straight years and went to the national finals in 2012. On Tuesday, two of the leaders of the Buffs earned honors. Junior Esther Lee was named CU’s all-sports co-female athlete of the year, and senior Alexis Keating received an all-sports female career athletic achievement award. 

Denver won two tournaments this season and is ranked 71st nationally by Golfweek and 72nd by Golfstat. This will be the 10th straight regional appearance by the Pioneers.

For all the women’s DI regional qualifiers, CLICK HERE.
 

Also on Monday, the fields were set for the women’s NCAA Division II regional tournaments — the ones that will determine the competitors for the NCAA DII championship finals that will be played May 18-21 at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora.

Metropolitan State University of Denver, which recently won its second straight women’s Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title, put two of its golfers into the West Regional as individuals. That tournament will take place May 2-4 in Stockton, Calif.

Representing Metro State — the host for the NCAA DII finals — will be RMAC Player of the Year Allie Johnston and Cha Cha Willhoite, both juniors. Johnston won the CWGA Match Play title in 2012. Metro State is coached by former CoBank Colorado Open champion Ben Portie, who recently was named the women’s RMAC Coach of the Year for the third straight season.

The top three team finishers at each regional, and the top three individuals not on those teams, will earn spots in the NCAA DII finals at CommonGround.

For the complete women’s DII regional field, CLICK HERE.

As she accepted her glass trophy after winning the CWGA Brassie Championship for the fourth time, Janet Moore noted that the trick to winning team titles is “picking good partners.”

While the Colorado Golf Hall of Famer from Cherry Hills Country Club meant that as a compliment to her teammate this weekend — Metro State University of Denver golfer Allie Johnston — picking good partners certainly works both ways.

With Saturday’s victory at Spring Valley Golf Club in Elizabeth, Moore claimed her 19th CWGA championship. And while she’s best known for winning the CWGA Stroke Play a remarkable five times in the 1990s, also impressive is that she has 14 CWGA two-person team titles to her credit. Besides her four Brassie championships, she’s claimed seven wins in the CWGA Mashie, and three in the now-defunct CGA/CWGA Mixed Championship.

The bottom line is, a golfer could do a heck of a lot worse than partnering with Moore in a team event.

No doubt Johnston, a former CWGA Match Play champ, foresaw the possibilities because it was her idea to email Moore asking if she was available for the Brassie. (Moore missed last year’s tournament.) And with Moore’s longtime tournament partner and fellow Colorado Golf Hall of Famer, Christie Austin, defending her Brassie title this year with University of Colorado golfer Tori Glenn, Moore took Johnston up on her offer. (The two are pictured above and at left.)

And, predictably, the top of the Brassie leaderboard had the names Janet Moore and Christie Austin right at or near the top, though this time not together. After having paired up for nine CWGA titles — six Mashies and three Brassies — these last two years each has won the Brassie with other partners.

“It does feel different but it’s fun,” said the 51-year-old Moore, who coached the Wheaton College women’s golf team in Illinois the last four seasons before departing in the spring. “I love playing with different people. But it is a little bit awkward just because (Christie and I) have played so many times together. But I love playing with Allie. It was so much fun and she hits such a nice ball and she’s such a great player.”

On Saturday, after outstanding rounds by both teams, Moore and Johnson prevailed by two over runners-up Austin and Glenn (left). With each team recording six best-ball birdies on the day, Moore and Johnston closed with a 5-under-par 67 in the four-ball stroke-play event, while Austin and Glenn carded a 66 — 10 strokes better than their first-round total.

“We had a good day and they had a good day,” said Austin, winner of five Brassies overall. “We just had too bad of a day yesterday.”

With Moore making four birdies en route to a 70 on her own ball Saturday and Johnston carding three birdies — including a 4-footer on No. 18 — they finished with a 4-under-par 140 total.

“It was fun. We had a great time,” said Johnston, who won her fourth CWGA title, having previously captured the 2011 Junior Stroke Play, 2012 Match Play and the 2012 Mashie with Claudia Davis.

Runners-up Austin and Glenn checked in at 142 on Saturday, with CU golfers Gillian Vance and Allie Zech, the first-round leaders, placing third at 143 after a 71 on Saturday.

For Johnston (left), she is starting to return to form after a tough couple of years health-wise. The Castle Rock resident said she was sick much of 2013 and didn’t compete in any tournaments. Then last year, she underwent gall bladder surgery, hernia surgery and foot surgery all within a period of about eight months.

But, as was the case in the 2012 Mashie, Johnston won the Brassie in her first time playing the event.

“It’s really impressive how she’s playing after being injured,” Moore said.

As for Austin and Glenn, they turned things around in a big way on Saturday after putting themselves behind the 8 ball with Friday’s 76. In round 2, Glenn made six birdies on her own ball, and Austin carded pars on the three holes Glenn was over par.

“(Tori) was a birdie machine,” Austin said. “And whenever she was in trouble, I made par. It was pretty easy today. We were happy to be in the hunt.”

Said Glenn: “It was fun. This tournament is always fun.”

For the scores from all seven flights, CLICK HERE.
 

Hulwick, who took over the program in February shortly after the resignation of longtime successful coach Sammie Chergo, recently guided the Pioneers to their 10th consecutive conference title, this one in the Western Athletic Conference (pictured).

It was DU’s first tournament victory with Hulwick as head coach, though she was an assistant when the Pioneers finished as high as sixth and fifth in the 2008 and 2009 NCAA Championship finals, respectively. This year’s performance earned Hulwick WAC women’s coach of the year honors.

Denver also claimed the individual conference championship as junior Tonje Daffinrud won by six and was named WAC women’s golfer of the year. Daffinrud has recorded six top-10 finishes this season and ranks among the top 30 women’s college golfers in the country according to Golfweek.

And on Monday night, DU was seeded 11th in the NCAA Division I West Regional in Stanford, Calif. In all, three regionals are on tap, running concurrently May 9-11. The top eight schools from each 24-team regional — along with two individuals from non-advancing programs — will land spots in the NCAA Championship finals, set for May 21-24 in Athens, Ga.

It will be the 12th consecutive NCAA Regionals appearance for DU. In all, 72 teams and 18 individuals will compete in Division I regional tournaments.

“We’ve gotten better and better in each tournament this spring, and that was our goal this winter,” Hulwick said after winning the WAC title. “We’re looking forward to NCAA postseason play next month.”

DU is ranked 32nd among the nation’s women’s teams by Golfstat, and 33rd by Golfweek.

Also headed to the West Regional, but as an individual, is University of Colorado junior Jennifer Coleman, who is coming off a third-place showing in the loaded Pac-12 Conference Championships. Coleman, who’s won one tournament this season, is ranked 92nd individually in the country by Golfweek.

Among the other players with Colorado ties in the NCAA Division I regionals are North Carolina State’s Lindsay McGetrick, San Diego State’s Paige Spiranac and and Texas-San Antonio’s Allie Johnston — all in the Central Regional in Norman, Okla. — and Pepperdine’s Somin Lee at the Stanford site.

While the women’s NCAA regionals have been set, men’s Division I programs are in the final week of their conference championships. Their NCAA regional fields will be announced on May 6.

Meanwhile, here are how the NCAA regional berths have shaped up for Colorado-based Division II programs:

Men’s NCAA Division II Regionals — On Friday, the NCAA announced the 80 teams and 32 additional individuals that earned berths in the men’s NCAA Division II Regional tournaments that will be held May 6-8.

Three Colorado-based teams — Colorado School of Mines, Colorado-Colorado Springs and Colorado State-Pueblo — are headed for the South Central Regional in DuPont, Wash. Mines, who went to the NCAA Div. II finals for the first time last year, is seeded first in the 10-team regional for the second straight season, while Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference champion UCCS is fifth, and Colorado State-Pueblo eighth.

In addition, Colorado Mesa’s Brandon Bingaman will be competing as an individual.

At the combined 20-team South Central and West Regionals, five schools and the top two individuals not on those teams will advance to the Division II finals, set for May 20-24 in Hershey, Pa.

Women’s NCAA Division II Regionals — Only one Colorado-based NCAA Division II women’s golfer earned a spot in the Division II Regional fields that were announced on Monday and that will be contested May 5-7.

Colorado State-Pueblo freshman Leina Kim is one of four individuals who earned a spot in the West Regional set for Tiara Rado Golf Course in Grand Junction. The nine-team field — plus the four individuals — will vie for three team and three individual berths to the Division II finals, set for May 15-18 in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Kim was the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s women’s golfer of the year this season. She owns six top-five finishes in the 2012-13 school year, including one victory.


It was a successful week for teenagers and sixty-somethings alike at the CWGA Match Play Championship at The Fox Hill Club in Longmont.

While 18-year-old Allie Johnston of Red Hawk Ridge Golf Course became one of the youngest winners in the 97-year history of the tournament, 60-year-old Mary Doyen of Foothills Golf Course proved age and experience can be assets in golf as she claimed the senior division championship title.

Johnston, the 2011 CWGA Junior Player of the Year, rallied down the stretch on Wednesday to post a 1-up win in 36 holes over defending champion Somin Lee of Denver. And Doyen earned her second consecutive CWGA senior title by notching a 5-and-4 title match victory over Deb Hughes of Green Valley Ranch Golf Club. (Johnston and Doyen are pictured above with their trophies.)

“Turning 60 ain’t so bad,” Doyen said after backing up her CWGA Senior Stroke Play win in 2011 with Wednesday’s victory. And, just for good measure, she also recorded a hole-in-one this week, acing the 130-yard 11th hole on Monday with an 8-iron.

“I’ve got good karma,” she said. “It was just a good week.”

Likewise for Johnston (pictured at left), who will play golf for the University of Texas-San Antonio beginning in the fall. She not only won her third CWGA championship — following the 2011 Junior Stroke Play and the 2012 Mashie team title — but she showed considerable resiliency in the process.

Johnston, who was 3 up after the morning round, faltered in the afternoon and was 2 down after 31 holes. But she took advantage of back-to-back three-putts by Lee to win the 32nd and 33rd holes, the second of those with a two-putt birdie.

Then Johnston won a third straight hole with an approach shot that finished a foot from the cup for a birdie at No 16. She kept her 1-up lead on the 35th hole despite a tough, long bunker shot from an uphill lie. She blasted the 25-yard shot to 5 feet and made the par putt.

Then, after Lee lipped out a 6-foot birdie attempt on the 36th hole, Johnston closed out the match by draining a 4-foot par putt.

“I was just extremely angry at myself for losing five holes to her (earlier in the afternoon round),” Johnston said. “I was trying to swing good and I just didn’t want to lose. That was my only thought: I don’t want to lose.”

In playing her last four holes in 2 under par, Johnston denied Lee from becoming the first back-to-back CWGA Match Play champion since Wendy Werley in 1988 and ’89.

“I’m not going to lie: I think I put too much pressure on myself to defend the title,” said Lee (pictured at left), a Pepperdine University golfer who has won four individual CWGA state championships. “I left many shots out there. But I shouldn’t regret anything. (Johnston) played really good. I guess I just didn’t play good enough to win this thing again.”

After lipping out the birdie putt that would have forced extra holes, Lee couldn’t bring herself to watch as Johnston holed the match winner.

Perhaps not coincidentally, Johnston played her best golf when she was fatigued after walking and carrying her clubs for 36 holes on Wednesday.

“I was so tired (at the end) I couldn’t think, so it really helped,” she said with a chuckle. “That was my theory going into this round walking was maybe I won’t think once I get tired.

“But I’m so happy,” added Johnston, who ranks this title as one of her best, along with an AJGA championship she won last year in Texas. “This has just really, really made my week. That was so much fun. I’m still stuck on it.”

In the senior final, Doyen (pictured at left) never trailed and built a 5-up lead after 10 holes en route to her 5-and-4 victory. Doyen’s prowess on the greens proved too much for Hughes, a qualifier for the last two USGA Senior Women’s Amateurs.

“When I grow up, I want to putt like Mary Doyen,” Hughes said with a smile. “That’s all I have to say. It was uncanny. She had her distance correct, she had her pace, her line, everything. Everything was just dead-on. I didn’t stand a chance with her putting.”

Doyen carded three birdies on the day in ending the match at No. 14.

“Today it was there,” she said. “I was listening to a meditation tape by (sports psychologist) Bob Rotella on the way up (driving to Fox Hill),” Doyen said. “I missed the Longmont exit because I was meditating. I was just in a zone. It was one of those days where things were just good.”

The result was Doyen’s second CWGA title in less than 11 months.

“Winning any state championship is just marvelous,” she said. “I’m just elated. I’m just as pleased as I can be that I won a second one. I’m not sure I ever thought I’d win a first one.”

CWGA Match Play Championship
At The Fox Hill Club in Longmont

Open Championship Flight — Allie Johnston, Red Hawk Ridge Wga def. Somin Lee, Heatheridge Associates 1 up
 

Open Championship Flight Consolation — Amy Hodgkinson, The Fox Hill Club WGA def.  Paige Crawford, Patty Jewett Wga  1 up
 

Senior Championship Flight — Mary Doyen, Foothills Wga def. Deb Hughes, Green Valley Ranch Wga 5 and 4
 

Senior Championship Flight Consolation — Jessi McVay, Commonground Lga def.Sally Lawrence, Broken Tee Englewood Wga 2 up
 

First Flight — Charlotte Jorgensen, Highland Meadows GC def. Jennifer Hocking, Valley Hi Golf Course 2 up
 

First Flight Consolation — Vickie Brown, Canongate Colorado Wgc def. Kristie Schwab, Omni Interlocken 3 and 1
 

Second Flight — Jenni Chun, Lone Tree Lga def. Sheila Schroeder, Broken Tee Englewood Wga 5 and 4
 

Second Flight Consolation — Elizabeth Kraemer, Legacy Ridge Wga def. Sue Rose Moore, Cherry Hills CC 4 and 3
 

Third Flight — Vicki Porter, Commonground Lga def  Pat O’Connor, Collindale Wga 6 and 5
 

Third Flight Consolation — Donna Edelen, Riverdale Wga def. Irene Stein, Collindale Wga
 

Fourth Flight — Amber Leis, Fox Hill CC def. Meadow Hills Wga 2 up

It took 6 1/2 hours and 25 holes, but Allie Johnston and Claudia Davis gained their first lead in the title match of the CWGA Mashie Championship at about 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday at Heritage Eagle Bend Golf Club in Aurora.

That coincided exactly with the time when the teenagers became champions of the four-ball match play competition, the CWGA’s first championship of the year.

Davis, a senior-to-be at Arapahoe High School, made a 3-foot birdie — draining her third consecutive pivotal putt — to give herself and Johnston a marathon 25-hole victory in their final against two other teenagers, Kathleen Kershisnik of Columbine Country Club and Patricia Lee of Lone Tree Golf Club.

“I still kind of feel like we should be playing,” said Johnston, a Rock Canyon High School graduate who plays out of Red Hawk Ridge Golf Course. “It was really fun. Mostly I think we were all just wanting to finish and eat.”

Davis (pictured above at left with Johnston), winner of the 2011 CJGA Tournament of Champions, waited until the end to make her major contributions. She made a 10-foot par putt on the 23rd hole to extend the match, holed a 35-foot birdie from behind the green on the 24th hole that Kershisnik matched with a 20-foot birdie of her own, then stuck her tee shot on the decisive 164-yard par-3 seventh hole 3 feet from the flag and won it with another birdie.

“I kind of lost my tempo and my swing for a few holes, but when it really counted, I felt like I stepped up and contributed and helped my teammate,” said the 17-year-old Davis. “It was just exhilarating to make the putt that you know counted to push it to the next hole.”

Kershisnik and Lee (pictured at left), who will play college golf at Wyoming and Georgetown, respectively, could have ended it on the 18th hole, but Lee left a 3-foot par putt short and the match was extended. It was one of several short putts that cost the team as Kershisnik missed a 2-footer on No. 9 and a 4 1/2-footer on No. 14.

But on the extra holes, both teams flourished on the greens. On No. 2, Johnston made a 15-foot birdie and Lee put a 7-footer right on top of her. On No. 4, Lee kept the match going with a 5-foot par. On 5, Davis drained her crucial 10-footer for par. And on 6, both Davis and Kershisnik made bombs. Then Davis closed it out with her 3-foot birdie on No. 7.

“I’m a little frustrated because it was kind of all for nothing in the end,” said Lee, a graduate of Highlands Ranch High School. “We both made crucial putts. We didn’t give any shots away so that’s a bonus, but we lost so that sucks.

“It could have been over a long time ago, but we didn’t give up, so that was good. (Davis) hit a really good shot on 7.”

While a 25-hole match is unusual, Kershisnik played one almost as long last year in the CWGA Junior Match Play, falling in 24 holes to Mikayla Tatman in the quarterfinals.

“All four of us played really well (on Wednesday), but obviously it’s not nice to be on our end,” said Kershisnik, who finished second in a playoff last month at the 4A state high school meet as a Regis Jesuit senior. “We got a few putts rolling (at the end), but it was a little frustrating because we had them around the hole a lot , but we couldn’t get them to fall” earlier in the match.

It was the second CWGA championship for Johnston, who earned CWGA Junior Player of the Year honors in 2011 after dominating the CWGA Junior Stroke Play, winning an AJGA event and qualifying for two USGA championships. The 18-year-old, runner-up in the 2012 5A state tournament, will be playing her college golf at Texas-San Antonio.

Davis, meanwhile, won an CWGA title for the first time. And it was a championship match she won’t soon forget — one in which the biggest lead for either team was 1-up.

“That was crazy,” the golfer from Glenmoor Country Club said. “It was a lot of fun. We really fought. I feel like it was equal. Both teams were trying really hard to just make that one extra shot count.

“I honestly didn’t know when it was going to end. (The scene on the 25th hole is pictured at left.) I thought we might play another 18 out there.”

In the end, Johnston and Davis prevailed in the championship flight of an event that featured 200 players and 13 flights overall. The championship flight included three players who are in the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame — Kim Eaton, Janet Moore and Lynn Zmistowski.

“I felt like there’s a lot of great players here, and to have two (teams) of juniors fighting for first place is really special,” Davis said. “I’m proud of myself and my teammate.”

CWGA Mashie Championship
At Heritage Eagle Bend GC in Aurora

Championship Flight
Allie Johnston, Red Hawk Ridge GC and Claudia Davis, Glenmoor CC def.Kathleen Kershisnik, Columbine CC and Patricia Lee, Lone Tree GC, 25 holes
  
Championship Flight Consolation
Janet Moore, Cherry Hills CC and Sarah Moore, Cherry Hills CC def.Laurie Steenrod, Saddle Rock GC and Lisa Stone, Saddle Rock GC, 2 and 1

First Flight
Vickie Brown, Broken Tee GC def. Sally Lawrence, Broken Tee Englewood def Ruth Van Zee, Canongate Colorado GC and Jessi McVay, Commonground GC, 2 and 1
  
First Flight Consolation
Kim Gosche, CommonGround GC and Sue Davis, Saddle Rock GC def. Danielle Atkinson, The Pinery CC and  Robyn Asbury, The Pinery CC, 3 and 2
  
Second Flight
Brenda Cook, The Links GC and Marie Driessen, Pinery CC def.Debra Bolke, Saddle Rock GC and Cathy Neistat, Saddle Rock GC, 1 up
 
Second Flight Consolation
Marti Alter-Cudlip, Denver CC and Beth Hudson, Meridian GC def Mary Jo Deming, Lakewood CC and Sheryl Larsen, Lakewood CC, 2 and 1
 
Third Flight
Karen Leuschel, Coal Creek GC and Laura Wetzel, Coal Creek GC def. Jenny Elliott, Broken Tee GC and Nina Dulacki, Broken Tee GC, 1 up
 
Third Flight Consolation
Jeanine Wasielewski, West Woods GC and Darlene Evans, West Woods GC def. Leanna Rosenow, West Woods GC and Patricia Swanson, West Woods GC, 2 and 1
 
Fourth Flight 
Cathy Weber, Perry Park CC and Chris Leger, GC at Heather Ridge def. Debra Shultz, Saddle Rock GC and Mary Repetto, Broken Tee GC, 5 and 4

Fourth Flight Consolation
Krista Overstreet, Glenmoor CC and Jennifer Jacobsen, Glenmoor CC def. Vicki Porter, Commonground GC and Amy Tomlinson, CommonGround GC, 2 and 1
 
Fifth Flight
Carlene Decker, Kissing Camels and Denise Cohen, Kissing Camels def. Cindy Lantz, CC at Castle Pines and Sharee Merullo, Castle Pines CC, 3 and 2
 
Fifth Flight Consolation 
Patti Godette, Red Hawk Ridge GC and Juliet Miner, Bear Dance GC def Sharon Berglund, The Pinery CC and Barbara Davis, Pinery CC, 3 and 2

Sixth Flight
Theresa Lange, Canongate Colorado GC and Kim Gould, Saddle Rock GC def Jane Anhold, Lakewood CC and Barbara Mcgrath, Lakewood CC, 5 and 4

Sixth Flight Consolation
Jeanette Ali, CC at Castle Pines and Linda Sinsar, CC at Castle Pines def. Jane Anhold, Lakewood CC and Barbara Mcgrath, Lakewood CC, 1 up

Seventh Flight
Debbie Childs, Lone Tree GC and Ellen Thomas, Canongate at Blackstone def. Pat O’Connor, Collindale GC and Irene Stein, Collindale GC, 3 and 2
 
Seventh Flight Consolation
Karen Bergert, West Woods GC and Mary Smith, Fox Hollow GC def. Patricia Cahill, Patty Jewett GC and Lita Van Cleave, Patty Jewett GC, 2 and 1

Eighth Flight
Laura Laux, Applewood GC and Joann Smith, Foothills GC def. Kimberlee Powelson, Valley CC and Carol Kishiyama, Valley CC, 1 up
 
Eighth Flight Consolation
Doris Hug, Heritage Eagle Bend GC and Connie Norkoli, Heritage Eagle Bend GC def. Paula Maes, Pradera GC and Billie Dahlbach, Plum Creek GC, 8 and 7

Ninth Flight
Barb Dearing, The Links GC and Cathy Quesnell, Red Hawk Ridge GC def. Nancy Peters, The Courses at Hyland Hills and Marlene Drew, The Courses at Hyland Hills, 23 holes
 
Ninth Flight Consolation
Dolly Moreno, Broken Tee GC and Jo Honeyman, Overland Park GC def. Jane Videtich, The Links GC and Karen Hendrickson, The Links GC, 20 holes

Tenth Flight
Anne Svec, The Courses at Hyland Hills and Kris Van Bladeren, The Courses at Hyland Hills def. Pat Latta, The Courses at Hyland Hills and Laura Fischer, Willis Case GC, 4 and 3

Tenth Flight Consolation
Linda Brown-Stiller, Broken Tee GC and Cathleen Ryland, Broadlands GC def. Sandra Schnitzer, Murphy Creek GC and Bunny Ambrose, Meadow Hills GC, 2 and 1
 
Eleventh Flight
Jan Squires, West Woods GC and Jaki Berry, West Woods GC def. Marilyn Hollman, Buffalo Run GC and Cheryl Miller, Riverdale GC, 5 and 4
 
Eleventh Flight Consolation
Roben Deines, Buffalo Run GC and Susan Elliott, Riverdale GC def. Jan Shoemaker, Twin Peaks GC and Sharla Gambrell, Sunset GC, 3 and 1
 
Twelfth Flight
Marcia Hall, Overland Park GC and Susie Goldberg, Overland Park GC def. Pamela Ortell, Heritage Eagle Bend GC and Debby Wishmier, Heritage Eagle Bend GC, 20 holes

Twelfth Flight Consolation
Phyllis Finlay, Eagle Vail GC and Marilyn Everett, Heritage Eagle Bend GC def. Jo-El Freyer, Denver CC and Jan Lee Heath, Spreading Antlers GC, 2 up
 

Nine golfers who finished in the top 10 at last year’s girls 5A state high school tournament had to take a back seat Tuesday to a player who didn’t crack the top 30 in 2011.

Cherry Creek junior Mackenzie Cohen, who shot 93 in the first round of the 5A state tourney last spring, posted a score 26 strokes better in the final round of this year’s meet en route to an improbable victory Tuesday at Aurora Hills Golf Course.

Cohen (pictured at left), who’s been the No. 3 or 4 player for the Bruins most of the season, fired a 5-under-par 67 Tuesday to earn by far the biggest victory of her career. Her final round included seven birdies in a span of nine holes as she shot the best score of her life — by seven strokes.

‘”It was fun,” the 17-year-old said. “I love playing like that. I just like being out there.”

Cohen’s 3-under-par 141 total gave her a one-shot victory over Rock Canyon senior Allie Johnston, the CWGA Junior Player of the Year in 2011. Johnston also closed with a 67. Arapahoe sophomore Hannah Wood placed third at 143.

The top 10 was filled with many of the same players as last year. In fact, seven golfers who made the top 10 in 2011 did so again on Tuesday. But they couldn’t keep up with Cohen, who finished 33rd at state a year ago.

Asked if she came into the tournament with any expectations of winning, Cohen said, “No, no. I have not played very well at state before so that’s by far the best I’ve ever done.”

Talk about a meteoric rise.

The middle of Cohen’s round set her apart from the pack. In the nine-hole stretch starting on No. 5, she made seven birdies and two pars, sinking many a long putt in the process. Then to keep her momentum going, she drained a 15-foot par save on No. 15.

“I felt good,” said Cohen, who also led Cherry Creek to the team title. “I usually play pretty relaxed. I was just making a lot of putts I guess. … I was just playing how I usually play and it seemed to be working.

“It didn’t really hit me until the 15th or 16th hole. I tried to stay calm and keep playing my game.”

Cohen said she didn’t come close to winning any invitational tournaments this season, but she certainly picked the right time to have her career round.

“I’ve been working pretty hard” on my game, she said. “I’ve worked on my short game a lot. That was my biggest weakness, and (the work) paid off today.”

Johnston (pictured at left), competing in her final high school tournament before moving on to play college golf at Texas-San Antonio, made quite a surge of her own. She posted seven birdies Tuesday, but a missed 3-foot par putt on No. 15 proved costly.

“I was trying to birdie every hole,” she said matter-of-factly. “I figured eventually that would probably get me to a good number.

“I did my best and I was happy I was beat and didn’t just give it away or anything. It feels good still. That was my best score ever (67). I can’t be upset with it.”

This is the second runner-up finish for Johnston in the state high school tournament. She also placed second in 2010, in Class 4A.

Cohen and Johnston led a torrid scoring day for several of the leaders. Four scores in the 60s were posted on Friday, with Cherry Creek’s Calli Ringsby (68 for a share of fourth place) and Highlands Ranch’s Patricia Lee (69 for fourth place) joining in the fun.

One player who may look back on Tuesday with some “what ifs” in her mind is first-round co-leader Shannon Lubar of Chatfield. She finished tied for fourth place, three out of the top spot, but she four-putted twice in the final round. Especially painful was a four-putt from 4 feet that resulted in a triple bogey on No. 6.

With an impressive 9-under-par total of 207 for its top three players on Tuesday, Cherry Creek won its second consecutive state team title — and record ninth overall in girls golf. Creek’s 3-under 429 total was 14 strokes better than 2010 champion Arapahoe. Fairview (461) was third.

Schroeder Rallies to Earn 4A Title in a Playoff: Senior Bryce Schroeder of Pueblo South, the runner-up in the 4A state tournament last year, moved up to the top spot in 2012 on Tuesday with her come-from-behind victory at Boomerang Golf Links in Greeley.

After tying Regis Jesuit’s Kathleen Kershisnik in regulation with a 65-foot birdie putt on No. 18 that left her at 3-under-par 143, Schroeder claimed the title with a birdie on the second playoff hole. Schroeder will play college golf at Wichita State.

The University of Wyoming-bound Kershisnik — who has finished second twice at state and third and fourth once each — bogeyed three of the last five holes in regulation to end up in the playoff. She shot a 73 on Tuesday, while Schroeder carded a 71. Jennifer Kupcho of Jefferson Academy (71-144) took third place.

In the team race, Regis won its second 4A state title in the last three years. Its 454 total was 13 strokes better than defending champion Pueblo South.

For scores, CLICK HERE FOR 5A and CLICK HERE FOR 4A.