5A Girls Golf: Valor Christian’s Second-Day Surge Nets Fourth Straight Title; Scott Wins Individual Crown

THORNTON — On the 18th green, with the Class 5A girls golf team championship secured, a Valor Christian golfer stepped up to her final putt to finish off the individual state title.

For the past two years, it had been Brenna Higgins doing those honors, but this time, it was sophomore Ella Scott, who stayed steady over the final five holes on a blustery day and earned a three-stroke victory Tuesday when the second day of play was completed at sprawling Todd Creek Golf Club.

It was the capper of a monster final round for coach Justen Byler’s Valor Christian team, which entered it with a one-stroke lead over Legend in the team chase and ended it with a 28-stroke victory — which delivered the program’s fourth straight team title — and the individual champion for a third year in a row.

“I wasn’t really thinking about winning the state championship going into this tournament, I was just going to play my game on this course and see how that fared against the field,” said Scott, who held off a challenge from Legend sophomore Maddie Makino to vastly improve on her 11th place from 2024.

“It’s just awesome to think about and honestly I couldn’t be here without my teammates and coaches, they’ve built me to be the golfer that I am today,” she added. “We push one another to be better and better each and every day. I’m super grateful to have them.”

Scott had her three teammates — seniors Higgins and Bella Eide and fellow sophomore Aja Blankenship, the exact same group that won last season’s state title — waiting for her on the 18th green as she closed her final round.

Even though Scott made bogey on the 18th hole, there was no drama involved after her play on the final handful of holes, over which she was three shots better than Makino to win the crown.

Playing in the final group together, Scott and Makino were tied after 14 holes, but a par and birdie on No. 17 helped the cause as Scott finished with a 4-over 76 (to go with the 72 she shot in the opening round), while Makino — who bogeyed four of the final five holes — finished with a 79 after also shooting 72 Monday.

After her final putt had fallen, Higgins, Eide and Blankenship unloaded bottles filled with cold water on Scott.

“That was cold, my feet are still wet and I might get blisters, but it’s worth it,” Scott said of the celebration. “I will get to cherish this forever.”

Higgins’ quest for a third straight state title came up short, but she played a vastly better final round.

The University of Colorado-bound senior shot an 11-over 83 on the first day of the tournament, but shot a team-best 75 in the final round to finish in a tie with Blankenship for seventh.

“Brenna is a special young lady and she’s been not just a great player, but an incredible teammate,” Byler said. “She’s gone through a lot personally and so to put the team first and encourage the girls after yesterday’s round means the world. I felt good about her going out and having a pretty good day today.”

Eide gave the Eagles a fourth player in the top 15 with a 15th-place finish.

Makino finished in second place individually, while junior Adyson Ice tied for seventh to give Legend two top-10 placers to go with the runner-up trophy, which it captured by a two-stroke margin over Fossil Ridge, last season’s runner-up. The Titans finished 22 shots behind the pace of their opening day — after which they trailed Valor Christian by a single stroke — but it was still enough to hold off the SaberCats, who shot identical 246 as a team in both rounds.

The top 10 group of medalists was rounded out by Cherry Creek junior Tatum Platt in third place, Ralston Valley junior Addison Hines in fourth, Regis Jesuit senior Audrey Whitmore and Chaparral sophomore Lilie Cohen in a tie for fifth, plus a three-way tie for 10th between Fossil Ridge senior Ellie Barry, Rock Canyon junior Ashley Chang and Brighton senior Raleigh Puzio. Seven of the top-10 placers were the same as they were a year ago, just in different order.