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The first spring sports state high school championships were completed Thursday with eight golf tournaments in the Tri-Cities, and there was plenty of plot lines for everyone.
How about Eastlake's Kevin Penner, who had to win his second 4A boys title in a playoff.
Or Lewis & Clark's Chessey Thomas, who rallied on the second day to beat a talented field for the 4A girls title.
Or Camas' Daniel Snoey, who held off tournament favorite Cameron Peck of Timberline and a hard-charging Scott Kim of Hanford for the 3A boys title.
Or Chelan's Kelli Bowers, who continued to dominate the 2A girls field by winning her third straight state title.
Or Goldendale's Zach Wanderscheid, who made a couple of clutch shots on 18 to hold off Ilwaco's Jack Whealdon for the 1A boys title.
And then there was Kristin Rue of Life Christian Academy, who won her second straight state title in 1B/2B girls.
Besides Kim, other local highlights included a second-place team finish by the Richland girls, and a team title in 1A girls for Royal.
4A boys
KENNEWICK -- Penner, who took the 4A boys title in 2007, lost his first-day lead and then some on the front nine. He never led again until the playoff was completed.
But he was able to rally to tie the Snohomish duo of Michael Jaeger and Dylan Stensland to force a three-way playoff at Canyon Lakes.
The threesome trudged back up the hill to the No. 18 tee, and all three hit good drives.
Penner's second shot, a 50-degree wedge, landed 10 feet from the cup, while both Snohomish golfers went long on their second shots and were in the rough.
They each chipped on the green, but both just missed par putts and had to settle for a bogey-5.
Penner, meanwhile, just had to two-putt for the victory. Instead, he sank the 10-footer for a birdie and the victory.
"It's very tough to get that second title," Penner admitted. "You try so hard to win, and I just didn't play well at all on the front nine."
Jaeger and Stensland had to settle for the team title, as the Panthers rolled up 90 points.
Walla Walla's Drew Reinland was the top area finisher, going 74-75 for a 149 and an eighth-place finish. The Blue Devils were third in the team race with 47 points.
Kamiakin's Riley Hayfield placed 17th for the Braves, scoring a 154.
4A girls
KENNEWICK -- Seo Hee Moon of Kamiak, who won the state title in 2007, held a 2-stroke lead heading into the final round.
But Thomas gained the lead by mid-round and held strong to the end, firing a 68 for a two-round total of 139. Moon hung on for second at 140, and Bethel's Jackie Brown was third at 141.
"Moon missed a few putts today," Thomas said. "Today, I wanted to make sure I started out strong. Yesterday I was 2-over after the first three holes. Once I got through those first few holes I was OK."
Lewis & Clark won the team title.
"I'll take a team title any day over an individual one," Thomas said. "That's what it's all about."
Richland was second, thanks to strong finishes by Kristin Strankman (11th), Madison Hamm (13th) and Mary McDonald (28th).
"We're ecstatic," said Richland coach Janet Schuster. "I was hoping for fourth after (Wednesday's) round. (Strankman and Hamm) had PR scores for the second day in a row, and (McDonald) was consistent and solid."
3A boys
RICHLAND -- Daniel Snoey of Camas fired a 3-under-par 69 to maintain the lead and win the boys title at Meadow Springs with a two-day total of 141.
Mike Rutledge of Mt. Si also fired a 69 and finished three strokes behind Snoey.
Meanwhile, Peck answered with an even-par 72 to tie for third with Kim at 145.
Kim, who had a 76 on Wednesday, played flawlessly on Thursday with a 69.
"I was happy that I played solid golf," Kim said. "No bogeys for the round and I was good. I played consistent the whole time."
3A girls
RICHLAND -- Seattle Prep's Katrina Hegge shot an even-par 72 at Horn Rapids to win medalist honors at 139. She beat runnerup Mallory Kent of Foster by five strokes.
2A boys
YAKIMA -- Squalicum's Matt Rawitzer held off Hockinson's Gerrit Chambers by a stroke to take medalist honors at Apple Tree in Yakima.
Rawitzer, who led after the first day by two strokes over Chambers, had a 72 on Thursday. Chambers fired a 71.
2A girls
YAKIMA -- Bellingham's Claire Rachor coasted to the state title with an 8-stroke victory, firing a 148 (76-72) at Apple Tree.
Othello's Ashley Amoruso placed 16th with a 176.
1A boys
RICHLAND -- Wanderscheid fired a 32 on the back nine at Columbia Point to overtake Ilwaco's Whealdon for the medalist title, winning by a stroke.
Wanderscheid, who has qualified for the U.S. Open sectionals set for June 6 at Tumble Creek in Roslyn, entered Thursday's play trailing Whealdon by a stroke.
By the ninth hole, however, they were tied. And then he built his lead to two strokes going into the 17th, a short par-3.
"Then I got a bogey, so I only had a 1-stroke lead going into 18," Wanderscheid said. "I had been birdieing that hole all week. I hit a 3-wood, then I've got an iron into the green."
But his drive ended up on a side hill, and he hit his second shot into the greenside bunker. Whealdon, meanwhile, was on the green in two.
"I knew he was gonna two-putt from there," said Wanderscheid, meaning a par for the Goldendale star might mean a playoff.
The junior then hit out of the bunker to within seven feet of the cup, before making the birdie to win. Whealdon also finished with a birdie.
"It was nerve-wracking," he said of the putt. "My heart was racing."
King's won the team title with 159.5 points.
1A girls
RICHLAND -- This one was never in doubt. Bowers held a 13-stroke lead after one day, and finished 27 strokes ahead of runnerup Alex Howells of Cascade Christian.
Her two-day total was 146 (72-74).
Royal's Shelby Forester placed eighth with a 182 (92-90) and teammate Lacy Goroske was 11th at 187 (91-96). That was enough to give the Knights the team title.
1B/2B boys
KENNEWICK -- Jared Desoteaux matched his first-day 68 with another to easily claim the medalist title at Tri-City Country Club with a 136.
Craig Crawford of Highland Christian Schools was second at 143, while Nathan Putnam of Life Christian Academy and Jacob Christensen of Asotin tied for third at 145.
1B/2B girls
Rue easily defended her state title, firing a second-day score of 69 for a 141 total to take medalist honors at Tri-City Country Club.
Rue finished 22 strokes ahead of her closest competitor, teammate Kendyl Prosser (163).
Life Christian also took the team title with 102 points.
