Kady Matsumoto came out swinging at the David Ishii/HHSAA Girls Golf State Championships on Tuesday, firing a 2-under 70 to seize a three-stroke lead after the first round at Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course. The Mililani senior looked sharp from the start, posting her best round since she shot a 67 back on March 16 to win an OIA regular-season tournament at Mililani Golf Course.

Preparation paid off for Matsumoto, who spent several days on the Klipper course in the lead-up to the state tournament. "It was windy in the beginning, but the course positions were good. The greens were really good," she said. "You just take it one shot at a time. The greens were slower last week. They must've cut it for this tournament. They roll nicer."

Her steady play puts her ahead of a talented field, including ILH champion Keelee Nogawa and Samantha Monroe, both of Punahou, who sit tied at 73. Right behind them at 74 are Punahou's Alexa Takai, Mililani's Makena Yonemura, and Maui Prep's Sacha Salem. At 75, Khloe Nakagawa of Hawaii Prep and Lia Choi of Moanalua round out the top contenders.

The day's most memorable moment belonged to Nakagawa, a sophomore who recorded her first career hole-in-one on No. 18. "It was 160 (yards). I was just trying to hit for the middle of the green because there were white stakes around," she said. "I hit a 6-iron. I just tried to make a good swing on it. I knew it was a good shot. It took a bounce a little to the left of the hole and went straight in." Her parents made the early morning trek from Kona, arriving just in time to see their daughter's back nine—including that unforgettable ace.

Weather played a role as well, with the leaders finishing their rounds before a heavy downpour drenched the course around noon, causing a delay of more than an hour for roughly half the field. Up until then, conditions were mostly sunny with occasional wind gusts that kept players on their toes. "It was less wind than when I practiced. I felt pretty good about today. My shots were going pretty accurate with my putts," Nogawa said. "Going uphill, gauging the speed (on the greens) gets hard. I'm looking forward to closing out the season and hopefully I can go out there and play solid golf."

In team competition, Mililani and Punahou are tied at 220, the only two schools to have three golfers score in the 70s. Mililani's tally includes a 76 from Mia Nakaoka. Matsumoto, who finished third at last week's OIA championships, is clearly finding her stride at the right time. "I'm not surprised. I know what she's capable of doing," Yonemura said.

Takai, meanwhile, is playing through a wrist injury—a cyst on the back of her hand forced her to withdraw from the ILH championships after one round. She showed no signs of trouble on Tuesday. "I would've liked a score that was a little bit lower. I hit the ball really straight. Hit it really well. Hit a lot of greens. I felt like I didn't make maybe as many putts as I should've," Takai said. With one round down and everything still to play for, the stage is set for a thrilling finish at the state championships.