WAIKOLOA, Hawaii >> Take a deep breath. The next generation of fearless golfers announced themselves at this week’s HHSAA/David S. Ishii Foundation Girls’ Golf Championships.

With a breathtaking closing surge at Waikoloa Kings’ Wednesday, Leilehua freshman Leia Chung seized the individual title by a shot over Moanalua junior Tagirilani Luafalealo.

Take your choice of where that shot came from. Chung chipped in for par at the 16th, buried a birdie putt from the apron at 17, then drained a 6-footer for the winning birdie at 18.

Meanwhile, BIIF champ Lacey Uchida was making sure Waiakea’s nine-shot first-round advantage held up. The Warrior sophomore shared low-round honors with ‘Iolani freshman Katrina Huang the final day, firing even-par 72 to help her team to a 10-shot victory over Punahou.

Waiakea finished at 235—458. First-year coach Bobby Perreira gave his team a goal of two rounds of 225 before the tournament began.

“The first day we shot 223,” he grinned. “Today we leaked a little oil, but we were able to hang on. Now we get to go home with the state championship.”

Uchida took third individually at 147, two back of Chung. Maui senior Reece Guzman, state runner-up to Claire Choi the past two years, was fourth after consecutive rounds of 74. Guzman will play for Pepperdine in the fall.

The last seven medalists played for Punahou, which had four golfers in the top 15 Wednesday. The Buffanblu had won 11 of the last 12 state titles, a dominance interrupted only by ‘Iolani in 2012.

Prior to that, Waiakea won three of the first eight girls titles, between 2002 and 2005 — the year some of this season’s players were born.

Perreira helped turn a team anchored by sophomores (Uchida and first-round co-leader Kailey Oki) and freshmen (Kiersten Saludares and Elle Otani) into a state champ.

Saludares’ 82 and Otani’s 81 both counted Wednesday in the best three-of-four scoring format. Senior teammates Tori Hironaga, Jillian Mitsuda and Tia Kualii also qualified for states. There were only eight other seniors in the 65-player field.

Seniors were a key part of what Perreira called his team’s best quality.

“We rallied behind each other and played as a team,” he said. “When one was struggling, another came on.”

Oki opened with 72 to lead the way Tuesday. She shared first with Chung, who closed with 73, and Luafalealo (74).

Chung took control after hitting her second shot into the rocks at No. 16 Wednesday. Today, Leilehua’s only golfer in this year’s championship is the third from her school to capture a state golf title. Britney Choy won in 2004 and Kalua Makalena captured the 1975 boys title.

Chung, 14 and barely 5-feet tall, said her only thought after taking a drop from the penalty area at 16 was to salvage bogey. She beat that with her chip-in, then birdied the final two holes for her margin of victory.

“Honestly, the best thing I did was persevere,” said Chung, who also won the OIA championship. “I was driving all right in the fairways. I could have hit a bit more greens, could have chipped closer and made more putts.

“At times I really wasn’t feeling it, but the last three holes were the most crucial.”

She owned them, and barely held off Luafalealo, who just missed a six-foot birdie putt on the final hole.

“I was just too nervous,” Luafalealo conceded, then explained why. “Because of what she did on the last three holes.”

The boys state championships are today and Friday at Waikoloa Kings’.