the desired result.The Lady Mustangs won their second consecutive Region I-3A Girls Golf Championships team title at Nueva Vista Golf Club, closing with a round of 327 for a 36-hole score of 629 that edged Monahans (638) for the crown.
That the second round was played on a day where winds gusted up to 35 mph did little to appease Andrews players and head coach Mark Burgen, especially coming off Tuesday's opening 302 where all five players broke 80.
"I
think we expected to win and we got a surprise and hopefully we
can work harder for state," Andrews senior Addison Long said.
"It'll help all of us realize it's not given to us and hopefully
we'll just start working harder."
The top two teams qualify for the UIL Class 3A State Championships, meaning Andrews and Monahans both advance to play in Austin on May 8-9. Andrews is the defending Class 3A state champion, while Monahans - which finished well ahead of third-place Seminole's 655 - advanced for the first time as a team since 2004.
Seminole's Samantha Soto and Bridgeport's Candace Brister advanced as the top two medalists on non-qualifying teams. Both players finished at 146 and Soto won a one-hole playoff for the gold medal.
"We wanted this all year long," Monahans coach Becky Hix said of reaching the state tournament. "We felt like we had the capability to do this, so we just had to finish the job."
Long led the way for Andrews with a 76 for a two-round score of 148 that finished fourth in the medalist race. Kaylan Brownlee finished off a strong regional showing with a 78 and two-day total of 154, good for eighth individually.
Desiree Gallegos fired 86 and Morgan Dockery had an 87, while Jennifer Joyce's 88 was not used for team purposes.
Overall, Andrews' 327 was the best round of the day by three shots over the 330 posted by Monahans. In fact, only two team scores from the opening round in good weather - Seminole's 320 and Snyder's 323 - beat the Andrews and Monahans scores in the poor conditions.
Still ...
"We haven't shot over 316 here and we've been here a bunch and had some windy days," Burgen said. "We accomplished our goal and we're advancing and the girls are happy that we won, but they're disappointed of how close it was. Part of that is great play by Monahans and part of that is some mistakes we need to correct between now and (the state tournament).
"Becky's girls are playing very well. I'm proud to see them play that well and she's done a good job of getting them ready for the time of year you need to play good golf. They're definitely going to be a force to be reckoned with going down to Austin."
It will be the first experience at the state tournament for all of the Lady Loboes, who were led by sophomore Shelbye Hill. She shot an 81 in the second round to follow her career-best 71 from the opening round and finished at 152, good for seventh in the medalist standings.
Courtney Rutledge shot 80 in the second round, a one-shot improvement from Tuesday, to finish at 161. Jordan Jernigan shot 82 and Allison Parks fired 87 to round out the second-round team scoring, while Victoria Moore's 88 was not used.
"You had to adjust to the wind and everything, but golf is golf and you just have to play with everything going on," Hill said. "We battled and we stuck in there. We got a big lead (in the first round) and it took a little pressure off. I was really proud of the way we played (Tuesday)."