Alanna Loyd

School: Clovis North

Grade: Senior

She's qualified because: Shot the best round of the day with a 1-over 74 while leading the Broncos to their second straight Central Section Division II championship. Having made an oral commitment to Cal State Northridge, she also won the Tri-River Athletic Conference Tournament and tied for second at the section individual tournament.

Hannah Sodersten

School: Clovis East

Grade: Senior

She's qualified because: Her career ranks with the finest in Central Section history, highlighted as four-time Bee All-Star, four-time All-Tri-River Athletic Conference pick, four-time top-six finisher at the section individual tournament, TRAC record-breaking season as a junior, two Len Ross Amateur titles, one Fresno City Amateur crown and qualifications for the USGA Junior Amateur and USGA Women's Amateur tournaments.

Alanna Loyd two years ago faced a decision unusual for a high school sophomore.

An emerging Clovis North golf star at the time, she was also active in cheerleading as the flyer -- the girl who gets launched into the air from a base of teammates.

And a couple falls were taking a toll.

She dislocated a shoulder.

She pulled an ankle tendon.

"Huge setbacks," she says.

So the call: "My parents decided being on the ground hitting golf balls was a lot safer."

Concentrating then exclusively on golf, she would lead the Broncos to consecutive Central Section Division II championships as a junior and senior.

Her 1-over 74 in this season's section team championship at Sunnyside Country Club was the day's best round and a leverage point as The Bee's co-Player of the Year with Clovis East's Hannah Sodersten.

Loyd also shot a 2-under 69-73--142 to win the Tri-River Athletic Conference Tournament in the section's strongest league, and tied for second in the section individual final with a 77 at Bakersfield Rio Bravo Country Club.

This all goes back to seventh grade, when she and classmate Sydnie Guzman "made a deal" because they wanted to do something different. So they attended a school golf meeting and were introduced to a sport they would play together for six years.

Now Loyd, aspiring physical therapist, is moving on to Cal State Northridge: "That's where the golf is, Southern California. Perfect weather, and I'm excited for that."

Loyd will take with her a game etiquette that's admired by her peers and coaches.

"I can't do her justice in trying to explain it," says Ron Ramos, who coached the first five years of Loyd's career. "She was determined on improving, but not at the cost of character or friendships. She's just been so consistent with her behavior and conduct. That's legitimate, not a show or contrived at all."

Loyd's sportsmanship is partly a result of her participation in The First Tee, a world-wide program -- Girl Scouts of golf, if you will -- that teaches life-enhancing values and promotes healthy choices through the sport.

Supported by several major golf organizations, including the PGA Tour, it allowed Loyd to be paired with Australian pro Peter Senior in the First Tee Open at Pebble Beach last summer.

"That honestly was the highlight of my golf career," says Loyd, who shot a 77.

A graduate of The First Tee program, Loyd is now teaching classes to girls ages 6 to 14.

"Just life skills in general on how to be respectful and act on the golf course," she says. "It's the most fun I've ever had."

It all began nine years ago, when David Sodersten threw up a net in the backyard of his Clovis home and asked his daughter, Hannah, to whack a golf ball into it.