Stephanie Corey impressed again at state.

Corey went from bad to great and that was good enough for a third place tie overall at the WIAA state 3A golf championship on the Sudden Valley course in Bellingham May 22-23.

The Mount Rainier Rams junior battled back from obvious adversity on day one, having a nine over par on the 18-hole course. Then she, on day two, beat her pod of foes to leave state on a very good note and endearing memories.

"I didn't reach my goals, but I was glad I could bounce back after a rough first day," said Corey, and, she said that for obvious reasons. She took second in the state as a sophomore last year at state so she wanted to improve on that great finish last year. She was close.

Who knows what could have happened if her first nine holes did not take a little momentum out of Corey, momentum that could have gave her a title. She did shoot a 69 on this same course last year, so, she certainly had it in her to win it all if everything went not so rough. Corey finished tied for third, with a 154 while second was 151 and first was 142 for the two-day, 36-hole cumulative.

The girl who won it had a 12 stroke lead over second place on this two-day affair. Still, Corey, if her first round of nine holes is wiped out with her average of 37 then her next 27 holes come out to a 146, good enough that score would have been for second place.

But no matter, Corey did great, again.

What was Corey's coach, Lance Hepworth most impressed with?

"She kept her head in it and stayed focused," said Hepworth. "The kid has a lot of determination in her."

Rams freshman, Kelsey Berg, did make it to state, too, for the Rams, to note, after Berg showed good at districts, being in top 15 overall. But, Berg, at state this year, failed to make the 40-cut qualification mark for going on to day two. She will be back, being young.

Highline's Jeff Nelson made it to the second day, finishing 42nd overall, for the boys.

On this beautiful Sudden Valley course wrapped around tall pines and firs and rolling sand bunkers, not to mention a community built amongst the holes, with Lake Whatcom viewable walking along the trails from hole to hole, Corey looked very good, birdieing a nice shot out of the rough via a chip and she strongly finished out the 18th and last hole on the second day. Playing in her pod against last year's state champion, Katrina Hegge, whom her mom said could drive the ball 350 feet, Corey outdrove her from the tee on the last hole. Then she made it in the cup in three shots to Hegge's 4 to win that one and go out in style.

But, backing up to the not so good, in detail, to the terms that were endearing, Corey shot a woeful 44 that first front nine holes to begin state on day one. Now, for most that-44- is a good score, but, for Corey, it was not average. She knew she could do better and her confidence in herself and ability to not get down on herself anymore than she had to allowed her to rebound, big-time for the final 27 holes as Corey then shot a 37 the next nine holes (back nine) for an 81 round of 18 holes on day one. So, it was actually just the front nine on day one that messed Corey up for the whole rest of the tourney. She shot a 37 and 36 on day two to cap things off with enough goodness to go from being ninth back after day one to two away from the top.

Corey proved she's not a quitter when the chips looked down. She couldn't be. She would not allow herself to be that way.

"I was disappointed. I didn't play as well as I should have," said Corey. "So I owed it to myself."

So, good payback, to come back and shoot a 37 and a 36 for a 73 in day two?

"Yeah," she laughed.

Corey had opportunity to chip in some good shots, like on the 10th hole, a shot from on the rough with a little bump to the green and cup. She chipped it in. She did the same on another hole with a great chip at the 16th that moseyed right on up to the cup and nearly went in. She lipped another 20-foot put.

Even in her score of 36 and 37 on day two, she looked like she could have shot even better like when she shot a 69 the year before one of the two days.

So she is ready now to take first place next year?

"I will try to do my best," she said. "Winning state would be a really great accomplishment my senior year and I am going to work really hard to achieve that."

And you are going to do it!

"I intend too," she said, almost agreeing there.

Yes, she has good support, "dad is fun" she says and her grandma was walking the course the two days, too, whom Corey says, 'I love it when she can come out."

So the stage is set, but no pressure.

Well, maybe the pressure is good. When Corey was down after day one, she really put it on herself to improve.

"The more pressure, the better she gets," said Hepworth.