SYRACUSE — Winning the state 5A golf championship was always in the back of the mind of the players on the Davis team. But according to team captain, Katherine Ashby, winning the championship was not the end-all to their young lives.

“I’d seen my friends who run track and cross country be part of state title teams and I always wondered what it would be like,” Ashby said. “I thought it would be great.”

After winning their team title, Ashby admitted, “it is really exciting. It’s just as exciting and fun as I thought.”

But had the Darts not won the championship, Ashby admits nothing would have changed about the remaining part of her day.

“We always say a team prayer and all we ask for is that we play to our best,” Ashby said. “Today, our best happened to be good enough to win. On other days our best hasn’t been, but we all are upbeat and positive because we know every time we play that we’re doing our best and that’s really all anyone can ask.”

Dart coach Neal Porter echoed his team’s approach.

“These girls have the right perspective,” he said. “They enjoy golf and do all of the things needed to be champions, but it’s not the whole reason they play. They play golf because they love the game. I think that approach was a big reason they were able to win.”

“There’s more to life than playing a sport,”: Ashby said. “I think it’s more important to be a well-rounded person.”