Arizona girls high school golf 2022: Can Xavier reclaim top spot?

With the start of the new girls High School golf season, many top teams could contend for championships this fall. The 2022 season will have much to offer, from renewed rivalries to, possibly, new champions.

Division I

Xavier Prep is looking to reclaim its spot at the top, something it secured seven of the last nine years in winning state championships.

Xavier  head coach Tui Selvaratnam is optimistic that her team will be able to return to form and capture another title, afer falling short to eventual D-I champion Peoria Liberty last fall.

"The team wants it back. They are working hard towards it. We have all our returning players and new freshmen that will add into the mix. They will work hard and try to get it back," Selvaratnam said.

Xavier only had one senior graduate last year and will have plenty of veteran leadership this year. Juniors Kate Hauptman and Jayden Jevnick will lead the team after having strong sophomore seasons, Selvaratnam said.

Liberty again is expected to stand in the way, along with Hamilton and Pinnacle, two other D-1 girls' programs that have been strong in recent years.

After coming out on top last year, Liberty is showing a revamped team it hopes will be able to maintain its competitive edge. The Lions lost its star player, Mattie Frick, who graduated and is now playing at the University of Illinois. Frick was a three-time All-Arizona selection by The Arizona Republic and helped her team take the title by placing second individually at the state championships last year.

Taking over Frick's leadership role will be senior Brooke McGlasson. After finishing eighth individually in the state tournament last season, McGlasson is looking to build on her strong performances in her junior year.

Hamilton high school was another team that came close to capturing the title last year, led by the 2021 individual state champ, senior Jennifer Seo, The Republic's girls' golfer of the year for last season. Seo had an incredibly successful junior year after winning four individual events, tallying the best scoring average in the state.

Earlier this summer, Seo won the 2022 Girls High School Golf National Invitational at Pinehurst, North Carolina. Frick finished second in the event.

Hamilton is looking to capture the state championship for the first time since 2010, when current LPGA tour member Kyung Kim was on the team.

Pinnacle is another team to look out for this upcoming season. The duo of senior Carolyn Fuller and junior Samantha Olson will lead the team this year. The two golfers finished in third and fourth place in the state tournament, with only one stroke separating the two.

Division II

The competition will see a shake up after the departure of many of this division's top golfers.

Oro Valley Ironwood Ridge, a perennial D-II powerhouse, expects this year to be dedicated to rebuilding after winning the championship the past three years.

The Nighthawks have had some top golfers graduate. After having the best year in her high school career, which included the most pars in the state, Raina Ports has moved on to golf for the University of Montana.

Ironwood Ridge still has one of the top golfers in the state, senior Zoe Newell, but many less-experienced golfers will be filling spots behind her.

Head coach Dave Kautz acknowledged the Nighthawks may be looking at a rebuilding year.

"We do have three very good golfers, including Newell, who is one of the best in the state. However, beyond that, we will be playing four beginners."

Ironwood Ridge isn't the only team that lost top players in the division.

After finishing second in the state tournament, Tucson Salpointe Catholic lost McKenzie McRee, a two-time individual state champion, and Susie Gietl.

Cactus Shadows, another top competitor, has retained a good amount of talent from last year. Despite losing Chloe Tarkany, one of the most consistent golfers in the state last season, the Falcons have another year of eligibility from senior Paige Hammarstrom.

Hammarstrom was tied for sixth place in the state tournament and was top ten in scoring average last season.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Previewing girls golf seasons for Hamilton, Liberty, Xavier