Team Colorado’s Brenna Higgins aims for rare 3-peat as girls state high school tournaments on tap; Class 2A tourney new this year; here are the 2025 regional champs
By Gary Baines – 5/15/2025
Brenna Higgins is already part of an elite group of Colorado high school golfers. Now she has a chance to join an ultra-elite one.
Thirteen golfers in Colorado history have won two or more girls state high school individual titles, and the senior from Valor Christian is one of them. For the record, so is Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Jennifer Kupcho, who won in Class 4A in 2014 and ’15 and has since captured three LPGA Tour titles, including a major championship.
But only three players — either male or female — have claimed three (or more) Colorado state high school individual championships, and early next week Higgins has a shot at becoming No. 4. For the record, already in the three-timers club are Lynn Ann Moretto of Cherry Creek (state titles in 1995, ’96 and ’97, all in a single classification); Ashley Tait of Mullen (2002, ’04 and ’05 in 4A); and Hailey Schalk of Holy Family (2017 and ’18 in 3A and ’19 in 4A). Schalk, it should be noted, was denied a shot at an unprecedented four state championships as the 2020 girls state tournaments were canceled due to Covid-19 safety concerns.
Higgins won 5A state titles as a sophomore and a junior, and was one of the top qualifiers for this year’s tournament, which is set for Monday and Tuesday at Todd Creek Golf Club in Thornton. With a 2A classification being added this year, there will be four girls state high school tournaments on Monday and Tuesday; 4A is at Broadlands Golf Course in Broomfield, 3A at Boomerang Links in Greeley, and the inaugural 2A state meet at Pueblo Country Club. A maximum of 84 players will tee it up at each state tournament.
Higgins, a University of Colorado signee, won the CGA State Junior title and the Colorado PGA Junior Invitational in 2023. She’s a member of the inaugural eight-player girls Team Colorado, part of the U.S. National Development Program. Last year, she claimed the 5A state championship by six strokes.
Though Higgins shot a 6-under-par 68 at the 5A Western Regional tournament this week, that wasn’t even the lowest score for that state-qualifying event at Indian Tree Golf Club in Arvada. That honor went to Addison Hines of Ralston Valley, a fellow Team Colorado player who carded an 8-under 66. Hines and Higgins were the only two players to shoot in the 60s at regional state-qualifying tournaments — regardless of classification. Hines placed third in the 5A state meet last year.
Higgins isn’t the only player bidding for a repeat girls state high school title next week. Hope Torres of Prospect Ridge — who defeated two-time state champ Maddy Bante from St. Mary’s Academy (now at Notre Dame) in a playoff at last year’s 3A tournament — will go for her second state title, though she’s competing in Class 2A this spring. Torres has signed to play her college golf at the University of Montana.
This year will mark the 35th year of girls state high school golf championships in Colorado.
For more information and tee times for the girls state high school tournaments, CLICK HERE.
REGIONAL CHAMPIONS THIS WEEK
5A Northern at Broadlands GC — Team: Legend +41; Individual: Maddie Makino, Legend, and Adyson Ice, Legend, 76.
5A Southern at Pinery CC — Team: Fossil Ridge +17; Individual: Ellie Barry, Fossil Ridge, 71.
5A Central at City Park GC — Team: Rock Canyon +9; Individual: Shelby McCord, Castle View, and Ashley Chang, Rock Canyon, 71.
5A Western at Indian Tree GC — Team: Valor Christian -1; Individual: Addison Hines, Ralston Valley, 66.
4A Region 1 at CC of Colorado — Team: Pueblo West +39; Individual: Landry Frost, Air Academy, 71.
4A Region 2 at Fox Hollow GC — Team: Ponderosa +21; Individual: Olivia Meyering, Ponderosa, 71.
4A Region 3 at Twin Peaks GC — Team: Riverdale Ridge +24; Individual: Brynn Balliet, Riverdale Ridge 70
4A Region 4 at Olde Course at Loveland — Team: Durango +42; Individual: Jayden Craig, Durango, 82.
3A Region 1 at Walking Stick GC — Team: Lutheran +23; Individual: Tess Morris, Lutheran, 75.
3A Region 2 at Fox Hollow GC — Team: Mullen +29; Individual: Ayla Rueschhoff, Mullen, 76.
3A Region 3 at Olde Course at Loveland — Team: TBD; Individual: TBD.
3A Region 4 at Gypsum Creek — Team: Severance +71; Individual: Kaitlyn Grommeck, Steamboat Springs, 81.
2A Region 1 at Hollydot — Team: Rye +40; Individual: Kendra Johnson, Salida, 76.
2A Region 2 at Lone Tree GC — Team: Denver Christian +42; Individual: Hope Torres, Prospect Ridge 76.
2A Region 3 at Qual Dunes GC — Team: Sterling +49; Individual: Macie Doherty, Sterling, 76.
2A Region 4 at RainDane National — Team: Colorado Academy +27; Individual: Sophia Lee, Colorado Academy, 71.
About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. The University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com