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St. George • Desert Hills golf star Katie Perkins tried activities such as basketball, dance, soccer and swimming over the years.
But nothing interested her as much as golf. She first tried the sport when she was 6 years old.
"I just saw the potential it held for a lot of people," said the two-time defending Class 3A girls' golf medalist. "I decided to try it and see what it was like. Immediately, it was something I loved to do."
Last Wednesday afternoon, Perkins, Thunder coach Laurie Dyer and the rest of the five-time defending state champion girls' golf team practiced at the Sun River Golf Course near their school.
They worked on chipping and driving on the range, then went through their paces on the putting green.
That practice fits Perkins' style. The senior, who lost the medalist title by one stroke her freshman season, likes the sport because there is always room for improvement.
"I can always get better," she said. "On my best days, I can count three, four or five shots I could have improved on."
Dyer said Desert Hills' star golfer has a little bit of what she calls the "it factor."
"Katie has that," Dyer said. "Her mental game has improved from ninth grade to her senior year. She is not only physically, but mentally tough. Some golfers have a bad hole, it gets them down and just perpetuates. She rebounds better and better every year. Her scores are lower. She is under par most of the time this year."
As might be expected for a place with a warm-weather climate and year-round golf opportunities, St. George has supported youth golf in many ways.
The area hosts many Utah Junior Golf Association events, including three major events each spring. Courses offer juniors discounted green fees, and local pros offer instruction. Most of the girls on the Desert Hills team have swing coaches.
"The coaching we have here is incredible," Perkins said. "For some reason, the girls who come through have such a passion for the game and such a desire to be better. We push each other and ourselves. It helps to have a great coach behind us who wants it as bad as we do."
Girls' golf is relatively new on the Utah high school scene. Its first championships were decided in 2008. Before then, the best girls had to beat boys for a chance to play.
"When I started playing, girls' golf wasn't a thing," Perkins said.
That didn't stop her, though. Perkins said she has played hundreds of courses in her life, including Pinehurst, when she played in the junior nationals as an 11-year-old, as well as Torrey Pines. She has been ranked as high as 63rd in the world and usually finishes in the top 50 in the national tournaments. She usually finishes in the top three in Utah Golf Association junior events.
That skill earned her a full-ride golf scholarship to Utah Valley University next year, where she hopes to major in radiology. She is a straight-A student.
Her dad and mom also played golf. An older brother, Zach, played for Snow Canyon, graduating in 2009, and helping the Warriors into the state golf tournament his junior and senior seasons.
Dyer, a math teacher at Desert Hills who had coached softball, volunteered to coach girls' golf at the relatively new school when the sport was sanctioned.
She said her job involves many management issues. While she and her husband, Jerry, do some coaching, most of the Desert Hills players have their own swing coaches.
"I try not to mess them up," she said. "We re-emphasize what their swing coach is telling them and don't try to deviate from that. With younger golfers getting started, we work on short games and course etiquette. We do a rules clinic every year. And we have to set up trips, tournaments and all that stuff."
Desert Hills will be the obvious favorite to win the Class 3A state title this year, which would be its sixth in a row. Perkins will be the golfer to beat for medalist honors. Teammate Kyla Smith could be her main competition, along with Gracie Richins of Dixie.
And the dynasty could continue. Freshman Thunder stars Tori Thomas and K'Jahna Plant are showing promise for the future.
Twitter: @tribtomwharton —
Desert Hills girls' golf
• Thunder have won five straight state titles and are favorites to win again this season.
• Senior Katie Perkins was the 3A medalist her sophomore and junior seasons, and lost by one stroke as a freshman.
• Teammate Kyla Smith is considered perhaps the best competition to Perkins for this year's medalist honors.
• Freshmen Tori Thomas and K'Jahna Plant have shown enough promise that the Desert Hills dynasty is expected to continue for the next several seasons.