Holy Family’s Hailey Schalk has attracted plenty of attention in the world of junior golf for a while now, even though she’s just 15 years old.

She was promising enough to receive college golf scholarship offers early in her eighth-grade school year. Even though she won’t graduate from high school until 2020, she’s ranked No. 235 among the world’s female junior golfers by Junior Golf Scoreboard.

And this week, she showed again what the buzz is all about by becoming the first freshman in 15 years to win a Colorado girls state high school individual title. Schalk prevailed by seven strokes Tuesday in the inaugural 3A state tournament at The Broadlands in Broomfield.

“You have four years of high school, so to start off with a win is really cool,” she said. “This is big. And to have my best round ever (a 6-under-par 65 on Monday) set the bar higher. Winning this is pretty cool.” (Schalk is pictured celebrating Tuesday’s win as a very happy father Matt looks on.)

Schalk, who won the girls championship in the Colorado Junior Match Play last summer, backed up her career-best 65 on Monday with a 3-over-par 74 on Tuesday, giving her a 3-under 139 total.

The last freshman girl to win an individual state high school title was Mullen’s Ashley Tait, who claimed the first of her record-tying three prep state championships in 2002. Coincidentally, Tait was at The Broadlands this week as an assistant coach for her high school alma mater.

Not only had no freshman won a girls state title in 15 years, from 2007-16 it was all juniors and seniors.

Tuesday was just a continuation of what has been an extraordinary freshman season in which Schalk (left) won every high school tournament in which she competed.

“I’m super impressed she shot the type of scores and played the way she did,” said Matt Schalk, Hailey’s dad and the Holy Family coach, as well as being the PGA general manager at Colorado National Golf Club, which hosted the 4A state tournament. “She works so hard, so for me I was happy to see her get something out of working as hard as she does. In my opinion 3A is the most competitive (Colorado girls high school classification) out there. So for her to come out here and shoot that score and separate herself was really impressive.”

At state, Schalk’s winning margin was one of the largest in state history, but nowhere near a record. Jennifer Kupcho, who just finished second individually in the Women’s NCAA Finals for Wake Forest, won her two 4A state titles, in 2014 and ’15, by 14 and 10 shots, respectively.

On Tuesday, Schalk was on track to go where very few girls competitors in Colorado have gone before at state. She was 8 under par through 26 holes before giving five back to par in her final 10 holes in windy conditions.

Schalk finished seven shots ahead of runner-up Charlotte Hillary of Kent Denver, winner of the JGAC Junior Tour Championship last fall. Hillary made a 15-foot birdie on her final hole to close with a 72 on Tuesday.

Teammates Caroline Jordaan (75 Tuesday) and Cassie Kneen (76) shared third place at 147, leading Colorado Academy to its fourth state title since 2007. And, of course, CA will go down as the first 3A girls state high school golf team champion in Colorado.

“There’s only one time to be first,” noted Beth Folsom, who has coached Colorado Academy to all four of its state titles. “That will be something we can always look back on.”

With CA shooting its best team score of the season in round 1 — a 2-over-par 215 — it ended up finishing 28 strokes ahead of runner-up Holy Family. The Colorado Academy seniors went third, second and first twice at state in their high school careers.

“It’s always fun” winning state, Folsom said. “It was a goal obviously from the beginning of the year because they had won last year (in 4A).”

Colorado Academy ended up putting all four of its players in the top 10 individually, with Caroline Jordaan and Kneen tying for third, Marie Jordaan placing seventh and Trinity Goderstad 10th. (The team is pictured with its championship trophy.)

But no one could keep up with Schalk, who was playing less than a mile from her high school. She made 10 birdies in 36 holes, including eight on Monday, when she started the tournament with five conscutive birdies. A change in putters on the eve of the state meet worked wonders.

“Everything kind of came together for her (on Monday),” Matt Schalk said. “She’s been striking the ball great. And we decided to (switch putters) on Sunday night and it all worked. If she can get her putter working, she’s really such a good ball-striker, she’ll shoot some good numbers.”

Chitkoksoong Prevails in Playoff in 5A: Sophomore Amy Chitkoksoong (left) of Grandview, like Schalk a member of the 2016 CWGA Girls Junior America’s Cup team, won the 5A individual title after beating Highlands Ranch’s Jenna Chun on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff.

Both players tied at 10-over-par 154 on the formidable Club at Rolling Hills course in Golden. Chun vaulted up the leaderboard by shooting the best score of the tournament by three strokes, following up an 83 with a 1-under-par 71. Chitkoksoong, the 2015 Colorado Junior Match Play champion, posted a second-round 76, then overcame Chun in the playoff with a bogey on the third extra hole.

The left-hander has now finished second and first in her two state high school tournaments.

First-round leader Amelia Lee of Rock Canyon, who will play her college golf at Creighton, placed third at 155 after an 80 on Tuesday.

Ralston Valley rallied to claim its first state team title in girls golf, thanks largely to a 13-over-par 229 on Tuesday. Rock Canyon was nine back to take second.

Lehigh Overcomes Loveland Teammate for 4A Title: Sophomore Lauren Lehigh fended off Loveland teammate Aili Bundy and Glenwood Springs’ Lauren Murphy to earn the 4A individual championship at Colorado National Golf Club in Erie.

Lehigh, the first-round leader, posted an 8-over-par 152 total after a 79 on Tuesday. Bundy, with whom Lehigh qualified for the 2016 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball (though they didn’t end up playing in the national tournament), finished one back following a 75. Also at 153 was Murphy, who closed with a 78.

With Lehigh and Bundy going 1-2 individually, it’s not surprising that Loveland ran away with the state team title — the school’s first in girls golf. The Indians finished at 26-over-par 475, 27 better than runner-up Windsor.

For scores from the state tournaments, click on the following: 5A, 4A, 3A.

Bob Austin helped put the Cherry Creek boys golf team in the record books, and he had a hand in removing the Bruins as well.

Austin played on two of Creek’s state title-winning teams — in 1970 and ’71 — as the Bruins went on to set the record for the most boys golf state team titles in Colorado, with eight.

But on Tuesday in the 3A state meet at Saddle Rock Golf Course in Aurora, with Austin serving as the head coach of the host Kent Denver squad, the Sun Devils took sole possession of the aforementioned record, moving out of a tie with Cherry Creek.

Kent Denver (pictured celebrating) has now won state crowns nine times since 1999, and Austin has been the coach for eight of those nine — two in Class 4A and six in 3A. (With its sixth win in the last seven years in 5A on Tuesday, Regis Jesuit joined Creek with eight state championships.)

And to double the fun for Kent on Tuesday, Sun Devils junior Oliver Jack (left) won a playoff to claim the 3A individual championship.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Austin said. “I’m really choked up. I really wanted this for these kids. We finished second the last two years. I wanted to get over that hump. The kids, I couldn’t be prouder of them. They played awesome. It was really fun. This might be the sweetest (state title) of all.”

And that was just one of the three state tournaments that concluded on Tuesday around the state. The others were just as notable:

— In the 4A meet at River Valley Ranch Golf Club in Carbondale, the individual title also was settled in a playoff, this one denying defending champion Jackson Solem of Silver Creek from becoming just the fifth two-time Colorado boys state high school champion since 1995. The first-round leader, junior Luke Trujillo of Discovery Canyon, parred the second playoff hole to defeat Solem and claim the title. And Trujillo helped Discovery Canyon win a boys state golf team championship for the first time. Three-time defending champ Valor Christian was third.

— In the 5A tournament at Bookcliff Country Club in Grand Junction, senior Kyle Pearson of Highlands Ranch put on a clinic as rounds of 66-67 gave him a 9-under-par 133 total and a six-stroke victory over Davis Bryant of Eaglecrest. Moreover, Pearson made a hole-in-one Tuesday en route to the title, acing the 136-yard 15th hole with a gap wedge. And, as noted earlier, Regis made it six 5A team titles in seven years. And perhaps the most remarkable thing about that is that each of the last two victories have come by one-stroke margins.

Back at 3A, the two players who finished tied for second in the state tournament last year were the ones in a playoff on Tuesday: Jack and Ivan Richmond of Estes Park. Richmond birdied the 17th hole in regulation to pull even, and both players bogeyed No. 18, with Jack three-putting.

But on the par-5 556-yard playoff hole, Jack hit his drive 30 yards beyond where his ball traveled on the same hole earlier Tuesday, and he had just a 7-iron for his approach into the green. Richmond, meanwhile, pulled his tee shot into a hazard and needed four shots to get to the front fringe. He three-putted from there for a double bogey. Jack, meanwhile, sank a 4-foot birdie for the victory.

“This means a lot,” said Jack, a 16-year-old who has already verbally committed to play his college golf at the University of Colorado. “A state championship is something I always wanted to win. Words can’t describe the feeling. Nothing means more to me than winning this. And it’s great for the team (too).”

Richmond (left), meanwhile, was thinking of what might have been.

“Obviously the tee shot (in the playoff) wasn’t the greatest,” he said. “Nerves and all that stuff were just going through my brain. It was bad.

“Obviously I wanted to win here. It would have been pretty special.”

Jack shot an even-par 72 on Tuesday — not counting his playoff birdie — and finished at even-par 144. Richmond closed with a 71 to get to that same total.

“I was really excited for Oliver,” Austin said. “I thought Oliver was the best player coming in, and I told him that. And I thought if we were going to win, the best player needs to win individually — and he did. He’s such an unbelievable talent and such a great kid

“(Winning both titles) was a huge thrill. The last two hours, I’m probably more nervous than I’ve ever been in my life.”

Joining Jack in the top 10 individually for Kent Denver on Tuesday were sophomore Jackson Klutznick (148, fourth place) and freshman Ben Zimmerman (153, 10th place). Rounding out the Sun Devil team was senior Jack Friedman (162, 25th place).

Placing third individually on Tuesday was Peak to Peak’s Ethan Tartaglia, who posted a 72 for a 146 total. Yale Kim of the Dawson School, the 2014 champion, shared fourth place with Klutznick at 148.

Kent Denver, which finished at 13-over-par 445, had a battle to win its eighth team title since 2006. Defending champion Peak to Peak took second place at 448.

In the 5A tournament, the team race was even closer as Regis Jesuit’s 10-over-par 436 total just edged Highlands Ranch by one.

Individually, Pearson was the only player to post two rounds in the 60s at Bookcliff. Besides his hole-in-one eagle, he made four birdies and two bogeys on Tuesday. For the two days, he racked up 10 birdies plus the eagle.

Bryant, a U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier last year, was very much in contention through 10 holes Tuesday as he had made a birdie and nine pars and stood 6 under overall. But he went 3 over par the rest of the way, shot 73, and had to settle for runner-up with a 3-under 139 total.

First-round leader Nick Caldwell of Rock Canyon was the only other player to finish under-par for two rounds, in his case at 140, good for third place. He made an eagle and a birdie on Tuesday, but also seven bogeys in a round of 75.

In 4A, Solem rallied from four behind going into the day to force a playoff in his bid for two straight individual championships. But after both players parred the first extra hole, Trujillo made a par on the second playoff hole to prevail as Solem missed his 6-foot par attempt. Both players finished at 4-under-par 140 overall, with Solem closing with a bogey-free 69 (though his blemish-free day ended on the second playoff hole) and Trujillo a 73.

Trujillo led by three strokes with four holes left in regulation, but a double bogey on 15 and a bogey on 18 forced the playoff.

Cole Krantz of Windsor was also in the thick of the title race, but back-to-back bogeys on 15 and 16 led to a third-place finish, one out of the playoff. Krantz played his first seven holes in 4 under par on Tuesday, making an eagle on the 325-yard seventh hole.

Discovery Canyon ran away with the 4A team title. Its 6-over-par 438 total was 15 strokes better than runner-up Montrose.

For scores from the state tournaments, click on the following: 5A, 4A, 3A.

Let it not be said that Monday’s first rounds of the three boys state high school golf tournaments lacked for pizzazz.

Let’s count the ways they filled the bill:

— Luke Trujillo of Discovery Canyon had perhaps the best start in the history of Colorado boys state high school tournaments as he played his first five holes in 6 under par at the 4A state meet at River Valley Ranch Golf Club in Carbondale. He shot a 6-under-par 30 on his first nine holes and was 8 under after making eagle on his 11th hole. But he finished double bogey-bogey to settle for a 5-under-par 67, which was still good for a three-stroke lead.

— At the 5A tournament at Bookcliff Country Club in Grand Junction, three players — Nick Caldwell of Rock Canyon, Davis Bryant of Eaglecrest and Kyle Pearson of Highlands Ranch — shot 66 or better. Caldwell fired a 6-under-par 65 to lead the way.

— In the 3A tournament at Saddle Rock Golf Course in Aurora, senior Yale Kim of the Dawson School put himself in position to become just the fifth two-time Colorado boys state high school champion since 1995. Kim, who won as a sophomore in 2014, shares second place, one out of the lead, after round 1. For the record, the other two-time champs over the last 21 years are Tom Glissmeyer of Cheyenne Mountain (2003 and ’04), Steve Ziegler of Legacy (2005 and ’06), Wyndham Clark of Valor Christian (2009 and ’11), and Ethan Freeman of Kent Denver (2010 and ’11). Jackson Solem of Silver Creek, who trails by four strokes in 4A, also has a chance to repeat as champion.

“I’m really excited,” said Kim (left), who’s been seventh and sixth in his other two trips to state. “I already have one (state win) in my bag. I’m just trying to play the best golf I can. I’m still going for the No. 1 spot.”

Notably, Kim is in contention for a state title despite not winning a tournament so far this high school season.

“I was busy for the whole summer, visiting my family in Korea, and my swing wasn’t that great.,” he said. “But I got my game together in time for state.”

— Also at the 3A tournament, Oliver Jack of Kent Denver birdied four of the last six holes to close out his round, including draining a 30-footer on No. 18, to grab the lead with an even-par 72. The junior finished with six birdies on the day.

Here are brief roundups on each of the state high school tournaments:

5A at Bookcliff: Caldwell, Bryant and Pearson separated themselves from the field in Monday’s opening round.

In his 65, Caldwell eagled the 553-yard 12th hole and added five birdies, while making just one bogey.

Bryant, a U.S. Junior Amateur qualifier last year, likewise made just one bogey on Monday, while he notched a half-dozen birdies in his round of 66. Starting on No. 14 (his fifth hole), he ran off four in a row, part of an eight-hole stretch which he played in 6 under par.

Pearson also carded six birdies an a bogey on Monday.

The only other player under par in round 1 was Tommy Packer of Arapahoe, who posted a 1-under-70, leaving him five out of the lead.

Regis Jesuit, winner of five of the last six 5A state team titles, leads after round 1 at 7-over-par 220. But four schools are within seven strokes heading into the final round: Rock Canyon (222), Fossil Ridge (225), Highlands Ranch (225) and Lakewood (227).

4A at River Valley Ranch: After his impressive round, Trujillo (67) was the only player to finish with a score in the 60s on Monday.

But five other players posted subpar totals on Monday: 2015 Colorado Junior PGA champion Cole Krantz of Windsor (70), Reice Hendricks of Air Academy (71), Owen Pasvogel of Discovery Canyon (71), Micah Stangebye of Montrose (71) and defending champion Solem of Silver Creek (71).

Discovery Canyon, with a stellar 4-under-par 212 total, holds a healthy 13-stroke lead over second place Montrose. Evergreen (231) is third, while three-time defending champ Valor Christian (232) is fourth.

3A at Saddle Rock: Jack, who tied for second place at state last year as a sophomore, was 4 over par through 12 holes on Monday. Then his round turned on a dime as he went birdie, par, birdie, par, birdie, birdie.

“I was struggling a little with my putting, but I finally got some to drop,” he said. “That was a nice confidence booster.

“I knew they had to drop at some point because I was getting close. I was waiting for the first one to go, then I knew (more would follow).”

Kim, who was 3 under par through 10 holes before going bogey-double bogey on 11 and 12, sits a stroke behind Jack along with Ivan Richmond of Estes Park and Jacob Mason of Jefferson Academy. Richmond tied Jack for second place at state last year.

Host Kent Denver, winner of a record-tying eight state team titles in boys golf, shares the team lead with Peak to Peak at 9-over-par 225. Aspen is third at 234.

For scores from the tournaments, click on the following: 5A, 4A, 3A.