Jacinda Lee’s charge Wednesday to win an individual title at the Class 4A girls golf tournament fell a little short.
But the Camas senior wasn’t upset at all.
That’s because Lee and her Camas teammates are state champions, after all.
Led by Lee’s second-place showing, the Camas girls ran away with the team title at The Creek at Qualchan Golf Course in Spokane.
“It feels really rewarding,” Lee said of the team title. “It’s something we’ve been working so hard for all season.”
Camas took a big lead heading into Wednesday’s second round and didn’t let up, beating out second place Henry Jackson by 27 strokes, 653-680.
“It feels like it’s a long time coming,” Camas coach Robert Foster said. “I think we’ve had four or five teams finish second in the past 10 years. But I’m so proud of this group of girls. They improved so much during the season, and they really deserve this.”
Lee opened Wednesday four shots off the lead, which was held by her teammate Jasmine Chen. Chen shot an opening round 72.
While Chen fell back with an 81 on Wednesday, Lee got better and made a late run at second-round leader Chanyoung Park of Henry Jackson.
“I don’t think I played too differently from yesterday and today, especially on the front nine,” Lee said. “I struggled a bit on the back nine yesterday. I wasn’t setting up myself up with my second shot and left a lot of shots short of the green. Today, I tried some different clubs, and I was making greens in regulation.”
Lee trailed Park by one shot heading to the par-5 No. 18 hole.
Lee played the hole well, but Park played it better.
“She hit her second shot to within six feet of the hole,” Lee said. “Then she made the putt for an eagle. So I don’t feel too bad about that, even though I did three-putt the hole, because I wasn’t beating an eagle.”
Park won with a 36-hole total of 146. Lee was second at 150 and Chen finished fifth at 153. Other state champion Papermakers were Rachel Rerick (13th, 163), Morgan Schlesinger (37th, 187) and Isla Lucero (55th, 207).
