5A girls golf: Higgins, Valor Christian in the lead after Day 1 at state

LOVELAND – A torn ACL she suffered from an awkward landing coming off a jump while competing in mogul skiing last year eliminated any chance of her golfing for Valor Christian as a sophomore.
 
But Higgins is back and healthy, and she’s making the most of her long-awaited state championships debut.
 
On Tuesday at The Olde Course at Loveland, the Eagles junior battled a tough course better than anyone else on a gusty day before the rain and wind rolled through in earnest in the afternoon. Her round included a run of three straight birdies – four in six holes – on the back nine to finish at even par and will head into the second day on Wednesday as the leader.
 
“It feels good. It was definitely a rocky start, but it’s good now,” Higgins said. “I just kept staying in it and I felt like I was more relaxed, more than in the past. I just kept making putts, so that’s all I can do.”
 

With Higgins in the lead, the Valor Christian team will also begin Day 2 in the lead. The Eagles, who are seeking their program’s first title, finished Tuesday’s opening round with a combined score of 233. Eagles freshman Brenna Higgins carded a 79, fellow freshman Bella Eide shot a 72 and junior Carmen Carpinelli scored an 89.
 
Defending champion Loveland finished the day in second place with a score of 246, giving the Valor Christian a considerable lead over the field.
 
“Anything can happen on Day 2,” Higgins said. “But that’s certainly a good position for us to be in right now. We’ll just have to see how things go tomorrow.”
 
In third, Cherry Creek scored 250, Mountain Vista had a 258 and Cherokee Trail finished with 260 strokes to round out the top five.
 
Prairie View’s Lily Nelson, who was runner-up last season, finished in second place with a 2-over 74. Defending champion Katelyn Lehigh of Loveland carded a 75 and sits in third.
 
Chaparral sophomore Brooke Hudson shot a 77 and sits in fourth place, two strokes ahead of Brenna Higgins. Abby Aeschleman of Mountain Vista, Jenna Bistline of Rampart and Fossil Ridge’s Olivia Steen, who placed third in 2021, all sit in a three-way tie for sixth place at 80.
 
Ralston Valley’s Brooklyn Mueller and Cherry Creek’s Caitlyn Chin will open Day 2 tied in ninth place.

Pairings and tee times for Day 2 will be released Tuesday night.