المقصود هنا. منطقة أسمها السودان بولاية تكساس الأمريكية

Sudan girls golf team sits in third place after best round of season
Posted: April 19, 2011 - 12:11amAdvertisement
By Adam Zuvanich
Avalanche-Journal
Sudan was coming off its worst round of the year and, based on its district results, was seeded 11th out of 16 teams at the Region I-1A girls golf tournament.

But head coach Warren Swarb knew his Hornettes were capable of much more. So heading into Monday’s opening round at the Reese Golf Center, he told them they’d be in contention if they all broke 100.

Sudan came close enough to doing just that as four of its five players shot 99 or better. The Hornettes sit in third place as a result, and they’re within reach of earning a berth to next month’s state tournament in Austin.

“I’m pleased with where we’re at. We’re sitting in a good spot,” Swarb said. “If we can shoot similar to that (today), I think we’ve got a shot at it.”

The top two teams after today’s second and final round, along with the top two individuals not from a qualifying team, advance to the Class 1A state tournament on May 9-10. Memphis holds a 30-stroke lead over second-place Gruver, which is only eight strokes ahead of Sudan.

The Hornettes’ first-round score of 99-over-par 387 was their best this season by 17 strokes. That happened because they got four sub-100 rounds for the first time all year.

Swarb said the player who did not break 100, senior Emylee Gonzales, usually is Sudan’s lead golfer. Gonzales played with a strong wind late in the afternoon and shot 101.

Every other team in the field, including Memphis, had at least one player shoot higher than that.

“I think we did really good,” said Sudan junior Bailee Black, whose team finished second to Springlake-Earth at the District 5-1A tournament. “We’re really excited.”

Caitlyn Netherland led the Hornettes with a first-round score of 21-over 93. The sophomore is tied for 11th place individually, 20 strokes behind first-place Mandy Mayo of Paducah.

Black was second on the team with a 96. Sisters Ashlee and Harlee Kountz both shot 99 to round out Sudan’s team score.

The Hornettes hope to duplicate the performance, or top it, today. But they’re enjoying the experience either way.

Swarb said neither he nor his players know the last time Sudan even reached the regional tournament — “That tells me it’s probably been a long time,” he said — and the Hornettes are building for the future while trying to make the most of the present. Gonzales is the only senior on the team.

Still, the Hornettes wouldn’t mind making up the eight-stroke difference between themselves and Gruver and then concluding their season in Austin.

“Just to go out there and try to do our best again, and maybe go to state,” Netherland said of Sudan’s objective today. “That would be pretty cool.”