The 2019 Arizona high school girls golf season was certainly one to remember.

For the first time in nearly a decade, Xavier Prep did not bring home the state title as it was Pinnacle – led by a strong junior class returning for 2020 – that defeated the Gators by 16 strokes for the state title.

But the Pioneers weren’t the only team that made headlines in 2019.

In Division 2, Ironwood Ridge won their first ever golf state championship by five strokes over last year’s champions Cactus Shadows.

“We won state last year and we started four sophomores and a freshman,” Ironwood Ridge head coach Doug Kautz said. “They’re a great group.”

With a number of other returning stars from a season ago, including Chaparral junior Grace Summerhays the sister of Chaparral boys golf phenom Preston Summerhays, anticipation for the upcoming girls golf season is already is underway.

“We’re pretty excited,” Chandler Hamilton girls golf head coach Jackie Walker said.

Here’s a look at what watch among girls teams in each division:

Division 1 Girls

Last November, Chandler Hamilton’s Joy Callinan pulled off a remarkable upset.

Having won the last three individual state championships, Xavier Prep’s Ashley Menne was expected to defend her title as a senior.

But Callinan, after Menne couldn’t score a birdie or par on the final hole of the tournament, came home with the state crown – defeating Menne by a single stroke.

Callinan has since graduated. And despite her remarkable individual performance, Hamilton fell 22 strokes short of reaching the state champions – Pinnacle – for the ultimate prize.

But even without Callinan in the team, Walker is extremely confident in her teams abilities ahead of 2020.

“I have six seniors out of an eight (man) team,” Walker said. “I have a lot of power at the top of my lineup that I’m looking forward to seeing them figure out.”

Among those seniors are captains Maddie Adam and Kylie Franklin, Hamilton’s two primary leaders for this upcoming season. Sophomore Jenny Seo, who finished in 12th place in last year’s state championship, also returns to help fill Callinan’s absence.

“(Seo) is very talented, but she’s very introverted and quiet,” Walker said. “She doesn’t necessarily exude confidence, but she’s very confident in her play.”

Other notable contenders for the girls Division 1 title include Xavier Prep, a historically dominant program in Arizona. Despite Menne departing, the Gators bring back 2019 freshman Annie Dawson.

And with Summerhays on board at Chaparral, the Firebirds are worth keeping an eye on as well.

Last season, Dawson won Girls Player of the Year award for the 13-14 year old age division.

And last year’s state champions, Pinnacle, might just be the favorites to win it all again in 2020. After defeating Xavier by a comfortable 16 strokes in 2019, the Pioneers most recently became National Champions after winning High School Golf National Invitation tournament in North Carolina on August 5.

Pinnacle will be bringing back seniors Katie Stinchcomb, Sydney Seigel and Kyla Wilde. All three finished in the top 10 at the state championship last season.

“Pinnacle is always a great program,” Walker said. “Xavier is definitely within our reach and Pinnacle is the next contender.”

Division 2 Girls

In 2019, Ironwood Ridge became Division 2 girls golf state champions. But, whether they’ll get the chance to defend their title is still up for debate.

As of Monday, the Nighthawks season has still yet to begin. Practices, tryouts and team events have been unable to commence due to the pandemic.

Without students in the classrooms at Ironwood Ridge, sports have been unable to resume at the school. The AIA has given the green light for the sport to begin, but local school districts have final say. Many Tucson-area schools have delayed practices because of the COVID-19 situation.

“(Players and parents) are trying to get our school district to start the season early, earlier than what the school planned,” said Kautz. “It’s going to start when it starts.”

Nighthawks players have made their case to the school board to start the new season and even Kautz himself has sent letters to the board. But despite the cloudiness that hangs over the 2020 season, Ironwood Ridge’s head coach is optimistic that they will have a chance to defend their state title this year.

“There’s a good chance our school board will vote to start in-person classes as soon as we come back from fall break,” Kautz said. “That means they’d probably get back on October 12.”

If there is a season for Ironwood Ridge, the Nighthawks will be returning all of their golfers from last year’s championship winning team.

Led by twin sisters Hannah and Raina Ports, the Ports twins have been at the top of Kautz’s team performance wise since they were freshman. Combined with sophomore sensation Zoe Newell, who finished in fifth place in last seasons state tournament as a freshman, the trio make for a dynamic three-headed monster for Ironwood Ridge.

“When you have a sport that fields such a small team, you just have to have talented kids,” said Ironwood Ridge girls golf head coach Doug Kautz. “It’s not coaching, it’s that these kids have been playing since they were little girls and that they’re phenomenal and happen to be playing at the same school.”

A few likely challengers to Ironwood Ridge’s throne include Cactus Shadows. Winners of the state title in 2018, the Falcons will most notably be bringing back senior Calynne Rosholt who has finished in the top three of the state championship tournament last season.

And Catalina Foothills, last years third place finishers at the state championship, as a team finished just nine strokes behind Ironwood Ridge at the state tournament last season.