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Nov. 20, 2012

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Two members of the defending state champion Bellingham High School girls golf team have signed national letters of intent to play at Western Washington University, beginning in the fall of 2013.

The signees are BHS seniors Brooke Branigan and Audrey Orem.

"They're awesome, and what makes them extra special is how hard they work," said WWU coach Bo Stephan. "Their work ethic rivals any that I've seen.

"They are products of a great program and both have a huge drive to improve. That will make them and our team even better."

Branigan has been on BHS teams that have won Northwest Conference, Northwest District and Class 2A state titles in each of the last three years, and Orem for the last two. The 2012 Red Raider squad is considered the best in conference history.

As a junior last spring, Branigan took medalist honors at the Northwest Conference and Northwest District championships and tied for fourth at state. In 2011, she placed third in both the conference and district tournaments and finished sixth at state.

Orem placed third at the conference and district tourneys in 2012, and was 19th at state. As a sophomore, she was 11th at conference, 10th at district and 22nd at state.

As a freshman, Branigan was 15th at state, 15th at district and ninth in conference. Two former BHS players have been top players for the Vikings over the last three years. Clair Rachor, a senior this season, was the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year for 2011-12 and Katie Sharpe was a West Region all-star in 2010. They both played on a WWU team that reached the national tournament in 2011.

WWU has won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship in each of the last two years.