AUSTIN – Andrea Crane often passes around an inspirational quote to her Highland Park girls golf team.

Down two strokes to Montgomery, winner of seven straight Class 4A state titles, Crane decided to bring out the heavy ammo.

So before the final round of the UIL State Golf Championships Tuesday, she chose the words of Ronald Reagan: "There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants and a burning desire to possess it."

Playing inspired golf, Crane's team shot 318 on the par-72 Jimmy Clay, five strokes lower than its first-round total.

Montgomery couldn't answer, despite the brilliant play of junior Lisa McCloskey, medalist with a 6-under-par total of 138.

Highland Park's margin of victory was nine strokes, 641-650.

"Coach's messages are always encouraging," said junior Claire Straty. "Mentally, we were prepared."

Crane said her team relied on senior Stanford signee Lila Barton, who had rounds of 74 and 77 and capped her high school career with her first team championship.

"Lila is our foundation," Crane said of the four-year starter. "She's meant so much to our program."

HP two-step: Highland Park's boys made it a clean sweep with a 19-stroke win, equaling the victory margins of the school's 2000 boys and girls teams.

It was the first state title in the 27-year coaching career of Art Spencer, who is in his first year at the school.

"The tradition you hear about with Highland Park is actually the uniting of families," Spencer said. "I'm so proud of these young men."

No trouble for Gribble: Cody Gribble, the Class 4A medalist after his second straight 2-under-par 70, might have pulled off the trouble shot of the tournament on Tuesday.

The Highland Park junior hooked a 3-iron approach on the third hole into the left rough and feared the ball was lost.

A playing companion found the ball, but Gribble had to straddle a bush and pull up the legs of his Bermuda shorts to execute a swing. He dropped the 30-yard shot to within 15 feet of the cup and holed the putt for a par.

Gribble preferred to talk about his 205-yard 3-iron on the finishing hole. He wisely played into the middle of the green for a par, avoiding water on both sides.

McKinney Boyd boys third: The choice of No. 18 as the playoff hole to settle a team tie for second with Austin Lake Travis in 4A boys didn't play into the hands of McKinney Boyd.

"With our young guys, we're not long, and the hole is a 474-yard par 4," said Boyd coach Jerry Crumpton.

Lake Travis won the playoff, but Crumpton is delighted to have four starters returning next season.

Darden penalizes himself: Frisco Centennial senior John Darden, a Mississippi State signee, made five birdies on the way to a 71 that placed him third. His round included a 2-stroke penalty he called on himself for accidentally contacting sand on his backswing in a bunker on No. 14.

Briefly: Frisco Centennial freshman Krisha Fadullon (83, 88) said the atmosphere at state is very different from most tournaments because of the number of spectators. "I'm a lot more nervous on the first tee than I usually am," she said. ... Freshman Patricia Holt's 81 and 84 led Frisco, which was taking part in the girls state tournament for the first time. "We want to establish a tradition," coach Mary Black said. ... In Class 2A, Edgewood's boys had their two-year hold on the team title snapped by Salado by two strokes at the Roy Kizer Course, 619-621. ... Alba-Golden's Kelsey Kirkpatrick was 2A girls individual runner-up, closing with a 73 for a 148 total. ... The Class 5A and 3A tournament will be Thursday and Friday at Clay and Kizer, respectively.