Virgin Valley High School Senior Ryan Baeza was crowned the 3A State Champion in the 2012 NIAA Boys State Golf Tournament Tuesday, May 15.

Baeza shot a 31 on the front nine holes, and a 38 on the back nine, for a total score of 69 at Boulder Creek Golf Course on the first day of the tournament.

"He was a star," Kirk Hafen, VVHS Boys golf coach said. "He shot a 69 on Monday and that's after he bogeyed the last two holes. He was one under for both days."

Playing against other high school golfers from Fallon, Elko, Winnemucca, Spring Creek, Boulder City, and Moapa Nevada, Baeza shot a 38 on the front and a 36 on the back the second day for a total score of 74 at the Boulder City Municipal Golf Course in Boulder City, NV.

With a two day total of 143, he was

first on the leaderboard with Luke Logan from Boulder City a distant 11 strokes back.

Hafen added that "it was very windy during the tournament and that made for some tough play. He put it altogether for the State tournament. Ryan is not just a good golfer, he's a great kid. As his coach, I can't beat him."

After coaching the high school senior for three years, "I'm sorry to see him go," Hafen remarked. "I'll miss the whole bunch of them," he said about the other golfers who'll graduate in just a couple weeks.

"It was an emotional win for Ryan because he worked so hard to get this title," Baeza's mother, Doris, commented. "It was especially special to him when his sister Felisha (2009 3A NIAA Girls Golf State Champion) came yesterday with a surprise visit to root for her brother. I am so proud of him."