BHS Girls Golf State Champions

In 2002, the Berlin girls golf team shot a solid score but finished in fourth place at the state championship tournament, just four shots away from first place.

In 2006, Berlin shot 367 but fell four shots short of Staples' score of 363 and finished second.

Golf is one of the most unpredictable sports to forecast because the tournament is one round, 18 holes, and anything can happen. 

The Berlin girls golf team won its first state championship since the sport was recognized as an official CIAC sport Tuesday by shooting 375 at Orange Hills in Orange.

It is the fifth overall title for the girls program.

This caps off a perfect season for the Redcoats as they went unbeaten in dual matches, won the Pisk Tournament, Won the CCC Championship and now the state title.

"From a team standpoint, I don't know what else we could have done," Berlin coach Jim Barnes said. Barnes has seen how close teams can come as his daughter Erica was All-State and part of a second place team but never got to take home the hardware. "We had all five girls make All-CCC and we found out today that we have three girls, Alyssa Scheyd, Victoria Fagan and Emily Stickel, all make All-State. That is how dominant we were during the season. But this state tournament is just one day. We didn't play great but we did enough to win it."

Barnes checked his team's scores at the turn and was fairly optimistic. Caroline D'Attilio shot a sparkling 46 on the front in the number five spot. Emily Deutsch shot 50 at number four, Stickel and Fagan shot 42 at the third and second spots but Scheyd struggled with a 49 on the front.

"I thought we should still be ok with the scores we shot on the front but the back nine is tougher and I was worried about Caroline keeping up that pace," said Barnes. "I knew Emily had a tough hole when she got into the trees and actually had to take a 13 on a hole. She still salvaged a 54 with a 13 so that was great."

D'Attilio couldn't hold it together on the back and shot 61 on the back for a 107. Deutsch shot 104, Stickel came in with an 89 and Fagan shot 87. Scheyd needed to shoot 51 for Berlin to win and as she has all season, the senior came through with a 46 and shot 95 for the day.

"Being favored is tough," Barnes said. "It's one day and anything can happen but we held it together and got the plaque.

"Some of the girls were disappointed with their scores but as soon as we found out that we had won, all that disappointment disappeared. There was relief and excitement and just happiness from the girls."

Barnes said he is very proud of the way the other teams and coaches responded to Berlin's win.

"Its a gentlemen's sport and you want your girls to be good examples and once we won the coaches and players were very happy for us," Barnes said. "That was the nicest thing about the whole day. Chris Garrahan from Farmington was the first to congratulate the girls and me. The shoe was on the other foot last year. They pretty much ran the table like we did this year. The girls all know each other and it was great to see our girls getting hugs and high-fives."

Team scores: 1. Berlin 375 2. Darien 381 3. Cheshire 384 4. Staples 388 5. Farmington 390 6. Conard 398 7. Lauralton Hall 400 8. Masuk402 9. Trumbull 403 10. Fairfield Warde 405 10. Greenwich 405 12. Northwest Catholic 406 13. New Canaan 413 14. Mercy 420 15. Avon 428

Top Individuals: 1. Abrianna Farnum, Fitch 82 2. Jennifer Whaley, Farmington 83 3. Andra Fraper, Cheshire 84