Golf / Metro League Championships -- Holy Names' Beasley, O'dea's Evans Cruise

There was no flamboyant celebration when Marie Beasley sank her final putt. Still, the two-time Metro League girls golf champion had plenty of enthusiasm after her seven-stroke victory at Jefferson Park Golf Course.

"I hit this awesome chip at (par-3 hole) No. 10," she said hurriedly, excited at the thought of her birdie. "I used my 4-iron on the drive and came up short of the green, so I went with my 9-iron and chipped it right up there."

Beasley, who won Metro and district titles last season, shot a 77 in the second day of competition yesterday to beat her longtime friend, Jessica Abbott of Seattle Prep, and help Holy Names to its third consecutive league crown.

Rudy Evans of O'Dea held onto the five-stroke lead he built Wednesday and won the two-day boys competition with a 1-under-par 143. His team, however, finished 11 points behind champion Seattle Prep, which placed three golfers in the top eight to score 389 points.

Beasley entered yesterday's play with a three-stroke lead over Abbott and extended her edge to six strokes with par on the first three holes.

"It means a lot to me because it's my last year and especially because I played well today," said Beasley, who credited Jackson Park golf pro Mark Granberg with helping her improve. "I don't think I'd be where I am if it weren't for him."

Beasley and Abbott have known each other since second grade and have played golf together through high school. That makes

competitions like yesterday's, where they were paired together, more enjoyable.

"We gossip about our different friends and talk about dances and school stuff," Abbott said. "Usually, you're just talking (to other players) with a lot of icebreakers."

There was little suspense in the boys competition. Evans shot a 2-under-par 70 Wednesday at West Seattle Golf Course, where he worked last summer, and maintained his five-stroke lead through the front nine. Though pleased with his triumph, Evans said he is more concerned with making a strong showing at state.

Evans' strongest competition came from the Seattle Prep duo of Nick Alexander and Nick Carkonen. Alexander shot par on 13 holes yesterday, Carkonen on 12, as they finished second and third. Teammates John Olsen and Derek Huoth placed eighth and 17th, respectively.

"It was probably the best golf we played all fall," Prep Coach Dennis Olson said. "It was very steady team play. Golf is like cross country - you've got to have good depth, and we had good depth."

Sophomore Kramer Lawson of Nathan Hale topped several better-known golfers to finish sixth. He was tied for second after a first-round 75, but shot 78 yesterday to fall behind Lakeside's Kyle Beffa and Eastside Catholic's Dave Zajac. The top 24 boys advance to Wednesday's district meet at Druid's Glen Golf Club in Kent.

The girls district meet is next spring, so the number of girls advancing has not been determined.

Metro girls golf METRO LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP (Two-day totals) At Jefferson Park

Team scores - 1. Holy Names 554 points; 2. Seattle Prep 459; 3. Eastside Catholic 362; 4. Blanchet 306; 5. Lakeside 208; 6. Nathan Hale 147; 7. Ingraham 125; 8. West Seattle 61.

Individual (by strokes) - 1. Marie Beasley, HN, 157; 2. Jessica Abbott, SP, 164; 3. Breana Minitti, HN, 177; 4. Bethiel Girma, HN, 192; 5. Hilda Gao, Kennedy, 199; 6. Nozomi Yamate, Kennedy, 204; 7. Nicole Conrad, Lk, 211; 8. Carley Bird-Vogel, EC, 212; 9. Lynne Erickson, HN, 216; 10. Monica Reed, SP, 219; 11. Macalley O'Neil, SP, 220.

Metro boys golf

METRO LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP (Two-day totals) At Jefferson Park and West Seattle

Team scores - 1. Seattle Prep 389 points; 2. O'Dea 378; 3. Eastside Catholic 369; 4. Lakeside 362; 5. Blanchet 349; 6. West Seattle 337; 7. Nathan Hale 321; 8. Ballard 302; 9. Ingraham 231.

Individual (by strokes; top 24 advance to district tournament) - 1. Rudy Evans, OD, 143; 2. Nick Alexander, SP, 148; 3. Nick Carkonen, SP, 149; 4 (tie). Kyle Beffa, Lk, and Dave Zajac, EC, 152; 6 (tie). Kramer Lawson, NH, and Travis Weza, EC, 153; 8. John Olsen, SP, 154; 9. Eric Benjamin, OD, 155; 10 (tie). Andrew Coghill, WS, and Eric Englund, Bl, 156; 12. Darren Delaye, Lk, 157; 13. Sean Kinney, Bl, 158; 14 (tie). Kyle Uskevich, Kennedy, Adam Hengtgen, OD, and Dean Delaye, Lk, 160; 17. Derek Huoth, SP, 161; 18. Collin Jergens, Lk, 163; 19. Nick Hengtgen, OD, 164; 20. Cameron Headley, Bl, 165; 21 (tie). Kyle Nelson, Kennedy, Shane Parris, Lk, and Phil Schoessler, EC, 166; 24. Jeff Kerns, Kennedy, 167.