Just one week remains before prep girls golfers shut down the competition side of their season and turn toward getting in some practice rounds to prepare for the state tournaments. Thursday, May 7 represents the final big tournament day around the state, with the state events happening May 18-19 at Thorncreek (Class 5A), The Bridges (4A), Foothills (3A) and Lone Tree (2A).

As reported earlier this week, many girls got a taste of a pressure-packed round at Monday’s Showcase Invitational at Fox Hill — hosted by Holy Family — where Valor Christian’s Ella Scott fended off Colorado Academy’s Sophia Lee for medalist honors. Sixteen players shot 79 or better, and all of those players figure to be state title contenders in just a few weeks.

There was plenty of other action this past week, too.

The Big Kahuna

Though a tournament not loaded with big stars, the Madeline Meyers Memorial on Wednesday at Hollydot proved to be a playground for Eads’ Reese Barnett — a small-school student-athlete whose name continues to pop up a lot in Colorado Preps’ weekly reports. The freshman started at No. 10 for the round and had one of the wildest sequences of play of anyone the entire season as she went out in 33. She aced the par-3 11th hole, sunk another birdie putt on 12, had bogeys on three consecutive holes thereafter, and finally rounded out her first nine with a birdie on 17 and a hole-out on the par-4 18th.

She ended up with a 1-under-par 70 to claim victory by six strokes, just a few days after a 23-stroke win on her hometown course in Eads at the High Plains Shootout — there, she shot 4-under 70 on the lengthy course. She has now won all eight tournaments that she has played in this season.

Elsewhere

Tatum Korte, a senior at Arapahoe, shot 77 to win the Horizon Girls’ Invitational last Thursday at Riverdale.

Northfield’s Chanel Carlacci shot even-par 72 at Aurora Hills on Monday, capturing a DPS league event.

Resurrection Christian easily won the Patriot League Championships on Monday at Boomerang Links, with seniors Karina Garcia and Avery Stockslager finishing at 76 and 78, respectively.

Richa Sajjan, a junior at Fossil Ridge, carded 76 to win the Rocky Mountain Invite on Tuesday at Collindale.

Danikka Nielsen helped Holy Family win a Granite Peaks League event Tuesday at Twin Peaks, shooting 73. Acadia Curtis was right behind her at 74.

Senior Amita Crowley, of Montezuma-Cortez, won her school’s home invite Tuesday with a solid 75 at Conquistador.

Thanks to 15 pars, Emma Nguyen’s 73 ended up on top of the leaderboard as Valor won the Jeffco match Tuesday at the University of Denver-Highlands Ranch course.

Mega Bonus

(No Laying Up)

Lee won’t get to play Thorncreek for her state title hopes, but she tamed the course late last week with a 7-under 65 to win the Prospect Ridge varsity invite. On holes 12-15, she went 5 under with an eagle on the par-4 12th.

Scott’s round at Fox Hill included five birdies, four of which came on the front nine.

Ashley Chang of Rock Canyon overcame a stretch of two bogeys and a double on consecutive holes to still finish at 1-under 70 at the Continental League match Tuesday at Meadow Hills. Her start of 4 under through eight holes helped matters.

Littleton’s Zoe Bar-Or was 5 under for her final 11 holes at Willis Case on Wednesday, helping her to a 3-under 68 at a Jeffco event.